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Craving Cassie Ch. 01

By: chezshirecat



Special thanks to Kanga40 for her editing and patience on this piece, and to the three or four readers who requested we do it. We hope you enjoy.

***

Cassie Ross struggled to push her way through the heavy door as the full impact of the night's events began to sink in and overwhelm her. Someone brushed past her in a hurry, not even noticing that she had tears streaming down her face. Actually, that was just fine with Cassie. She hated for anyone to see her cry. Dammit, she hated being weak enough to cry in the first place.

Finally outside in the fresh air, she paused to gather herself, angrily wiping the tears from her face. She took a deep breath and decided what her next move should be. The flashing red lights of a nearby ambulance cast an eerie glow over Cassie's already strained face as she reached into her coat pocket and grabbed her cell phone. She hated to do this – god, how she hated to do this – but she really didn't have much choice.

With a steady hand, she managed to dial her sister's home number. "Cassie? Good lord, Cassie, what time is it?" Heather answered, obviously still half asleep. Then, "What's wrong? Are you OK?"

Squeezing her eyes shut, she admitted, "I'm at the hospital. Can you come pick me up?"

"What? Oh my god, what happened? Are you OK?"

Cassie had to relive everything over again as she explained it all to her younger sister. Getting the frantic phone call from her best friend; Rushing to Andrea's house to find her beaten and bruised so badly she was barely conscious; Calling 911 and the ambulance ride to the hospital; Calling Andi's parents to explain that Pete had finally beaten Andi badly enough to put her in the hospital. Then there was the drama of convincing Andi to press charges against her husband, and finally giving a statement to the police.

Cassie would have stayed the rest of the night with her best friend, but Andi's parents had arrived not too long ago. Mrs. Patterson encouraged Cassie to go home, get some rest and come back tomorrow. It would have been no big deal if she had her car with her, but it was still sitting in front of Andrea's house, with her purse and wallet still inside. She hadn't thought much about it when she pushed herself into the ambulance with a glare at the paramedics and the lie that she was Andrea's sister. Yeah, Heather always accused Cassie of being a bit too impulsive sometimes, and yeah, occasionally Cassie could see her point. Hindsight is a bitch sometimes.

Cassie found a bench near the entrance and waited for her sister to arrive. She buried her face in her hands and tried to not cry again. Poor Andi. They'd been friends since grade school. They'd survived everything together, and now this. The worst part was, Andi still loved the bastard who did it to her. She even thought she deserved it for some reason. He'd been hitting her for months, but never as badly as tonight. Cassie had argued and yelled and cried, but nothing could convince Andi that this wasn't love. If it was, Cassie wanted no part of it, not now, not ever.

"Shit, I'm never getting married," she whispered under her breath, shaking her head and glancing around. How many other women were in this hospital tonight because their husbands had loved them the same way Pete loved Andi? With a scornful laugh, she suspected too many. Way ... too ... damn ... many!

Hell, even Heather and Jake's marriage hadn't been a picnic. Cassie had really believed her little sister's marriage would be the one that proved to her that maybe, just maybe marriage could be a good thing. What had happened? Heather herself fucked things up, that's what. She'd cheated on Jake, but amazingly enough, they'd worked things out and gotten married again a few years ago. Cassie was glad they'd gotten back together, but she wasn't holding her breath it would last. She hoped it would – god, please let it last – but that big ole realist inside her just wouldn't let her totally believe. She supposed she would always be flawed that way. 

Still, she couldn't help but smile when she thought of how Heather and Jake found their way back to each other, with the help of a little cupid named Cassie, of course. It was almost out of character for her, but then again, this had been Heather and Jake. The little sister Cassie adored and the brother she'd come to love like a real brother. After seeing her sister walk around like a shell of her former self, Cassie caved in and called Jake, oh, about a year after the divorce. After much thought and creativity, and with Cassie's help, Jake had decided to put himself up for bid at a charity bachelor auction. After that, it was just a matter of Cassie convincing Heather to go ...

The problem was, thinking of that night also meant thinking of Kevin. And thinking of Kevin was a dangerous thing ...

"Hey beautiful, need a ride?"

She glanced up, startled out of her daydream. "Jake?"

Her brother smiled wryly and nodded as he approached in a pair of scruffy old jeans. He'd obviously gotten dressed in a hurry, but he still looked as cute as a button. "We didn't have anyone to watch the kid. We weren't sure what the situation was with Pete, so I insisted on coming alone. You OK?"

She nodded, but seeing the look on her face, he ordered, "Come here, you." 

Grateful for a hug, she let herself accept the gesture of comfort - something else she rarely did. Touching was okay if you were naked, hot and horny with the opposite sex, but anything else ... hell no. Cassie just wasn't a touchy-feely sorta person.

This, however, was different. Tonight, she really needed it.

"So, how is she?" Jake asked when she pulled away, needing her space again. Cassie shrugged. "A few broken ribs, fractured arm, broken jaw. Doctors say she'll be OK – eventually."

Jake swore under his breath. "Bastard. Where is he? I hope the police have him rotting in a cell already."

"He wasn't there when I got to their house. The police said they're putting out a warrant for him, but if they can't find him tonight, it could be as late as Monday when he shows up for work before they get him," she explained, grateful when they reached his car so she was able to sit down again. Damn, she was tired. She sighed. "I need to go pick up my car. It's at their house."

She saw Jake's jaw clench tightly as he put the key in the ignition. "Then I suppose it's a good thing I came and not Heather. Maybe we'll get lucky. If he's home we can take turns beating the hell out of the creep."

Cassie smiled, liking the idea and liking Jake even more for saying it. Heather really had lucked out, she thought. Too bad Jake didn't have a twin, or an available brother she could sink her hooks into.

Of course, as her conscience reminded her, he did have an eligible best friend – Kevin. At least, last she knew, he was still eligible. For all Cassie really knew, Kevin could be married by now, or living with someone. She had to close her eyes at the sharp little sting that particular thought gave her. She really needed to see a shrink, she told herself. What? She didn't want Kevin, but she didn't want anyone else to have him? What the hell is that all about? Besides, it was a few years since they'd had their little fling. He probably didn't even remember her name by now.

Man, she wished she had a cigarette. She'd given it up a couple of years ago though. Nasty habit. She'd taken up yoga instead. Yeah, as if being able to wrap your legs around your neck could give you the buzz same as nicotine. What the hell had she been thinking, she mused, a tad crankily. Damn Kevin. She always got cranky when she thought about him. Not to mention all the rest of this shit she'd had to deal with tonight.

Laying her head against the window beside her, she closed her eyes and let herself remember, the way she sometimes did when she was feeling down and lonely, exactly what had happened the night she met Kevin Cooper.

***

"What the--!" Cassie hissed under her breath, momentarily fumbling with the envelope of money in one hand when she got her first look at the "ugly as sin" friend Jake had begged her to put out of his misery. She was to do this by bidding on him during the Valentine's bachelor auction Jake himself was participating in. "'Ugly as sin' my ass," Cassie breathed as she eyed the man on stage. 

She listened to the auctioneer boast his assets – " ex-Marine, manages a sporting supply company and sidelines as an adventures tour guide". Cassie took a casual peek to see how much money was in the envelope. Jake had given it to her and said to use it all since it was going to charity. She pursed her lips and blew a silent whistle, estimating there was still close to two thousand left, even after what Heather had taken out to bid on Jake. From the sound of things, Cassie might need that much – if she decided to bid, that is. 

As soon as the auctioneer had started the bidding, the women in the audience swarmed the stage like sharks. "Impressive", Cassie thought. Not even five minutes had gone by, and – what was his name, Kevin? – had already surpassed Jake's price. Well, she supposed, he was better looking than Jake in a 'Ken doll' sort of way. His dark hair was close-cropped, military-style, and he had the face of one of those guys you often saw on the cover of romance novels. Nice build. Muscular, but lean, she guessed from her distance. Nice package, sure, but what about the inside? Then again, he obviously had a sense of humor. He was playing up to the crowd, spinning around, lowering his jacket with a teasing look over his shoulder, and doing a little dance across the stage. 

The guy was smiling and lapping up the attention and, once or twice, she could have sworn he looked her way. Cassie began to wonder if he and Jake had planned this. Was the poor dear expecting her to jump in with his friend's money and spare him from a fate worse than death, lest he be bought by an old hag with no front teeth? Was it all a setup? Hmmm, yes, she suspected it was, now that she thought about it. 

Cassie didn't consider herself beautiful – in fact, there were far more attractive women in this room tonight – but she did consider herself a step above the trashy-looking bleached blonde currently trying so hard to win this ex-Marine. Cassie came here tonight to help get Heather and Jake together, but now that she was here, and having seen so many hot guys up for grabs, she was feeling a bit ... well, horny. She hadn't gotten laid in probably a year and she figured she was about due. 

Cassie could really have fun with this, she decided, already enjoying watching this Kevin guy sweat a little. She gave only a smile and a friendly little wave in reply to his increasingly desperate looks in her direction. She made a point of tapping the envelope full of cash against her knee so he could see it, yet she made no move to make a bid.

Four hundred and fifty dollars. Five hundred! The bidding continued as Cassie continued her flirtatious will-I-or-won't-I stare down with Jake's handsome friend. Once or twice, she pretended to yawn and look away bored, but every time she returned her gaze his way, he was watching her. He was smiling – he had a great smile, she decided – and looked as if he couldn't wait to get her alone so he could – strangle her? He wiggled his eyebrows at her and she had to laugh. Ah, why the hell not? After bidding got close to eight hundred dollars, Cassie got a real thrill from finally, casually calling out, "Seventeen hundred dollars," in a voice that suggested they could take it or leave it and it wouldn't matter either way to her.

There was a comical hush for about thirty seconds, followed by a few gasps and giggles, but when the auctioneer accepted her bid, no one jumped up to compete. Maybe they were too stunned. Whatever. Cassie turned her back on the stage, grabbed her purse and nonchalantly left her seat, all-the-while she was giggling inside and doing a happy dance in her mind, especially as she heard the auctioneer say behind her, "Going once... going twice...Sold to the lady in red for seventeen hundred dollars, our highest bid tonight!"

Oh the drama! This was better than reruns of Dynasty, Cassie thought, feeling a bit like Alexis Carrington herself as she stepped up to the donation table and filled out a form as if she dropped close to two thousand dollars on a dime every day. She'd have to give Jake a kiss next time she saw him for the once-in-a-lifetime experience of playing rich.

Cassie sensed rather than saw him– Jake's friend, Mr. GQ. With a little sigh, she turned and said, "Seventeen hundred dollars could pay my rent for three months. I do hope you're worth it, Mr. Cooper."

"Oh, I am, Miss Ross," he smiled, reaching for her hand and lifting it so he could press a gentle kiss to the back of her hand, "Believe me, I'm worth even more than that, if I do say so myself."

Damn. She'd always wanted a guy to kiss her hand like that. She sighed and pulled her hand away. Enough with the romance. She wasn't the type to appreciate it anyway. She quirked an eyebrow and gave him a thorough once over, liking what she saw. With a satisfied smile, she asked, "Shall we plan our date now, or would you rather just go somewhere tonight instead of Valentine's Day?"

His chocolate eyes lit up with surprise and interest, and he said, "Or both?"

She raised her eyebrows. "I think we should probably take it one day at a time, hot stuff." She held out her hand. "We should probably start with formal introductions, don't you think? Cassie Ross."

"Cassie," he savored her name like a treat, taking her hand and shaking it. "Kevin Cooper. Pleased to meet you."

***

"I don't think anyone is home."

Cassie blinked and realized she was riding in the car with Jake. She blinked again and tried to focus on her surroundings, realizing they were parking next to her car in front of Andrea's house.

"Besides," Jake continued, "we passed at least two patrol cars on the way here. They're obviously keeping an eye on the place in case he shows up, if they haven't already got him, of course."

"Great," she said, reaching for her seatbelt. "Thanks, again, Jake. I appreciate this."

Cassie wasn't really afraid of Pete Hendricks – let the bastard come after her – but she didn't want to worry her sister so she agreed to let Jake follow her home. Her phone was ringing off the hook when she got there, and she didn't make it in time to catch whoever was on the other end. Probably Heather, she figured, calling to check to see if she was home yet. She waved Jake off and then closed the door behind her. She moved to pick up the phone and call her little sister when she saw that the message light was blinking on her machine. She hit PLAY as she tossed her keys on the table.

She had three messages. As she listened, she realized Jake had been right about warning her. Pete did know she'd gotten involved tonight, and he did have a grudge. In the first message, his voice was emotional, choked up as he begged her forgiveness and wanted to know if Andi was OK. In the next, it was obvious he'd been drinking. He went from crying one minute to yelling the next, telling Cassie it was her influence on Andrea that had wrecked his marriage and caused this to happen. The last message ... the last message was by far the worst. Pete's voice spewed out one angry, filthy curse after another as he called her a bitch and whore for getting Andi to press charges against him. He told her she'd better be careful, because the next time he saw her, he would split her open with his hunting knife and when he was done they'd never find her body.

As she slid down the wall clutching the phone to her ear, Cassie wondered how this day could possibly get any worse. Then, for the second time that night, she made a call she absolutely did not want to make.

"Jake," she greeted in a shaky voice. "If you haven't gotten too far, would you mind coming back and following me to your house? That is, if you guys don't mind if I c-came over for the rest of the night? I, uh, really don't want to be alone after all."

***

Kevin bounded up the walkway to his best friend's lake house with a smile on his face, hoping he'd planned his surprise visit just in time to get invited to their usual late Sunday morning breakfast. Heather cooked one helluva breakfast any day of the week, but she always seemed to cook an even bigger spread for Sunday brunch.

He glanced toward the lake and wondered if he could talk Jake into going with him and Faith for an afternoon canoe adventure while he was here. Jake's soon-to-be three-year-old had everyone – including her "uncle" Kevin – wrapped around her little finger. He didn't get to spend enough time with the kid and hoped he could squeeze in some today, if Heather and Jake didn't already have plans. He'd just gotten back from a trip hiking the Appalachian trail and hadn't seen the Devlin family for a couple of months. 

As he got closer to the house, he spotted Heather at the kitchen window, smiling and talking as she worked in front of the sink. Yep, he smiled, just in time for breakfast. Then the figure of a woman came up behind her, and Kevin lost his footing.

Cassie was here.

Dammit!

As he pulled himself up from where he'd stumbled, Kevin stopped in his tracks and considered his options. No one was expecting him, and Heather hadn't spotted him yet. She was too preoccupied. He could turn around and go back the way he'd come, give Jake a call later, and no one would know any different.

He spun on his heels and realized he could forget that idea fast. "Uncle Kevin!" Faith squealed with joy and launched herself at him. "Mama, Uncle Kevin's here! Can we go swimmin', huh? Can we?"

He picked her up, settled her on his hip, and smiled wryly. "Swimmin'? Last time I took you swimmin', you kept splashin' half the lake on me. Now why would I want to take you swimmin', little girl?"

"I'm not little, I'm gonna be three years old!" she yelled, taking offense. That determined, stubborn glint in her eyes always reminded him of Cassie, and he sometimes wondered how she'd inherited so much of her aunt's temperament when her mama was as sweet as sugar. Then again, it was also probably the biggest reason he loved the kid so much.

"Yep," he agreed, giving her a little squeeze from the side. "And getting bigger and heavier every time I see you! Oh my back! My back!" He pretended she was too heavy to carry and slowly lowered her giggling body to the ground.

She ran straight for the door Heather was now holding open for him. "Hey stranger," Jake's wife greeted. "I didn't know you were back already."

He smiled at Heather as he stepped past her into the house. "Yeah, well, you know me. Full of surprises."

"Mama, I wanna sit beside Uncle Kevin for breakfast," Faith injected, clamping onto his leg and holding on tight. "And I wanna sit by Aunt Cassie too!" 

Oh boy.

Heather rolled her eyes, closed the door and sent Kevin a what-are-you-gonna-do smile. "You and her Aunt Cassie both in one day. She probably thinks she won the lottery. Jake is in the den on the phone. He was supposed to be watching Faith, but I see she got outside without any of us noticing."

"Hey, I told you this kid is destined to be a Marine when she grows up," he teased with a grin, trying hard not to glance around and see where her sister had gotten to. Then again, if he knew Cassie, she was trying to avoid him, the same as he was trying to avoid her.

He found his friend pacing in front of the window, looking worried and tired and running a frustrated hand through his hair. "I see," Jake was saying. "So he hasn't been picked up yet? ... What about the warrant? ... I see."

Jake noticed Kevin with some surprise and nodded in greeting. He gestured toward the sofa and continued his conversation with whoever was on the other end of the phone. Kevin figured it must be pretty important if he was talking about warrants on a Sunday morning. Then Jake really caught Kevin's attention when he asked, "So you're saying it would be best to advise my sister to try and get a restraining order in the meantime?" He stopped pacing long enough to absorb the answer. It obviously didn't make him happy. With a frown, he said, "I see," and began pacing again.


Craving Cassie Ch. 01



What the hell was going on? Kevin wondered with a frown. First off, Cassie was here. Second, Jake was talking to somebody about a warrant. And now he was wondering if he should tell Cassie to get a restraining order?

Kevin let out a deep sigh and considered the possibility Cassie had gotten mixed up with the wrong sort of man again. Damn woman wouldn't know what was best for her if it jumped up and bit her on the nose. 

He tried to push down the bitter taste that rose in his mouth, thinking about Cassie being with other guys. Why hadn't she been able to see that what she and Kevin had had was special? 

***

Four years ago ...

"Tell me some more about yourself," Kevin encouraged. He and Heather's older sister had left the auction to grab some dinner in the hotel restaurant. He'd realized through all the small talk over lasagna and wine that this was a woman who could make mincemeat of him in a heartbeat. 

Bold, independent, witty. Cassie Ross was more than he'd expected when he spotted the beautiful brunette across the room and jokingly asked Jake to hook them up. He'd only met Heather a couple of times, but she'd always been such a nice, quiet lady. He wondered how two sisters could be so different. Then again, maybe he just didn't know Heather very well at all.

Walking beside him, Cassie put her hands in the pockets of the jacket he'd let her borrow when they'd decided to take a short stroll through the hotel, and sent him a thoughtful look. "You're friends with Jake. I imagine you already know plenty about me." 

"I know some," he admitted. "But not as much as I'd like to."

"I don't like talking about myself," she warned with a cutting glance, then sighed as if she realized she was being rude, and amended, "Since you obviously know more about me than I do about you, I think it's only fair I go first with the questions. Small talk is fun, but it doesn't really tell me anything about you." 

"OK."

"You and Jake met in the Marines – you've known each other a long time," she said, having learned that much over their dinner. "So why is this the first I've ever heard of you?"

"Don't know," he shrugged. "Jake got out of the Marines, but I stayed, hoping to make a career of it. We kept in touch, but we never really got to see much of each other. I was supposed to be an usher at his wedding, but I couldn't get leave time. Otherwise, you and I probably would've met back then."

Kevin went on to explain how his father offered him a management position in one of his chain of sporting goods stores. Kevin chose to manage the store in this area because he liked the community and he knew Jake and another good friend both lived here. 

"So you left the Marines to do that...?" Cassie prompted.

His smile faded. "My unit was on leave for the weekend. This drunk driver plowed into my car before I could react. Damn near killed me. I lost all feeling in my left leg, and the doctors weren't sure I'd ever walk again. I was approved for a disability discharge, so I took it."

She stopped and looked at him in something close to awe. Kevin had the feeling not much ever shocked her and was glad he'd managed it, as perverse a feeling as it was. She leaned against the railing in the upstairs lobby and looked him over head to toe. "I'm sorry, but you seem to be walking pretty good to me. I hope you sued your doctors."

He smiled. "What can I say? I love a challenge. Took me a quite while, a helluva lot of pain and therapy, but I can probably walk better today than I used to. It wasn't easy though, but once I decide I really want something I never give up. Truth is, in some ways, I suppose I ended up being one of the lucky ones. My old unit got called up for Baghdad last year. A few of them are dead now."

"Sorry to hear that." She nodded her head and looked thoughtful. "So now you're into extreme sports – rock climbing, that sort of thing? Are you crazy or did you decide you wouldn't mind dying after all?"

He leaned against the railing beside her and thought about the thrill, the fear, the joy he'd felt doing things he'd once never imagined he'd ever do. "When I was in the hospital and thought I'd never walk again, I told myself that if I ever could, I'd never stop living. You should try it sometime. You might even like it."

She scoffed. "Me? No way. The closest I get to active sports is watching the Cubs play on TV every year. Occasionally I'll venture out to a stadium for a local game, but that's it."

"The Cubs? Get outta here. You like the Cubs? They're my favorite team in the whole world."

"I love the Cubs." She made a face as she added, "I'm pissed Kerry had a bad year, but we saw some good stuff from Sosa and Prior last year. They'll pull it together though. You watch and see."

"My God, woman. I love you. Let's get married."

She chuckled at that and regarded him with her sauciest grin and an arched eyebrow. "You know," she said, stepping close and brushing against him, "why are we wasting time talking when there are much more pleasurable activities we could be doing?" 

"Such as?"

In a move designed to seduce, Cassie slid her arms around his waist and licked her tongue against his lips. "Such as this," she said catching his lips and kissing the hell out of him. Long, slow, and easy. Then, "Take me to bed, Kevin," she whispered. "We can talk ... later."

Oh yeah, he was in trouble with this one, Kevin could tell. He'd only known the woman a few hours, and already he was hard as a rock, thinking about taking her to bed, and joking about marriage. He might have been less picky about his bed partners when he was younger, but these days, he didn't go to bed with a woman just because she was willing. He had to know and like her first. He really didn't know Cassie Ross worth a damn, but he could honestly say he liked her already. Maybe even more than like, if it was possible. He supposed he had just enough Italian in him on his mama's side to believe in love at first sight. He made a strangled sound in his throat when he felt her hand drift over his crotch and search out his cock beneath his trousers.

"Please?" she breathed, kissing him again.

How they made it in one piece to the hotel room he ended up renting, Kevin would never understand. This woman was irresistible, he thought, irresistible, plain and simple. As they struggled to get into the hotel room without loosing bodily contact – his hands in her hair, her lips nibbling at his mouth, his fingers trying their best to rid her of her dress while she tore at his shirt – Kevin thought of a whole slew of words to describe the effect Cassie Ross had on him. He couldn't remember ever feeling this attracted to any woman in such a short time. It was a little scary, but also exciting and ... hot.

He shut the door behind them then he felt her hand, her fingers easing down the zipper of his tuxedo pants with great care until she held him literally in the palm of her hand. He almost came then and there, especially when she began gently sliding her hand up and down his cock. Kevin grabbed her and spun until her back was against the wall. He got the vague feeling Cassie was trying to drive him out of his mind with lust – some kind of control issue, probably. Well, he was only too happy to return the favor.

Cassie seemed to hold her breath when he moved his lips from her neck to her mouth, thrusting his tongue inside at the same instant he pushed her panties down and slid his fingers inside her awaiting warmth. She was already wet and ready for him. 

"I want—" he tried to say the words, to tell her he wanted to take it slow but he didn't think he could, not this time. She reached for him, pulled his head down to hers. Her mouth on his prevented the thought from forming into words, so he did the only thing he could at that moment. Grabbing her buttocks, he lifted her up and replaced his fingers with his cock. Then he was thrusting inside her with long, urgent strokes as she wrapped her legs around his hips and threw her head back, gasping for air and groaning out words like, "Yes!" and "Oh, that feels so good, don't stop!"

When it was over, they were both sweaty, gasping for breath, and grinning like fools. They rested against the wall, their bodies momentarily limp and sated. Kevin realized he was still wearing his pants and Cassie was fully dressed aside from the panties that were dangling from her foot. Well, he supposed you could say she was half dressed, with her dress pushed up around her waist and pulled dangerously low around her breasts.

"What are you grinning about, huh?" she asked, then nipped his bottom lip with her teeth.

"Why don't I explain it to you – in bed," he suggested, lifting her under her knees and carrying her toward the bed. He paused, a thought occurring to him, and he said a bit concerned, "I'm sorry. I wasn't expecting anything like this to happen tonight. I didn't use anything. Are you protected?"

With her arms wrapped around his shoulders, she arched an eyebrow and smiled at him. "Well, now's a fine time to ask, don't you think?" But then she nuzzled her face in the crook of his neck, kissed him so that he was sure he might have a hickey tomorrow morning, and said in a soothing voice, "Don't worry. I'm on the pill. Guess this must be your lucky night."

***

Kevin came back to the present when he realized Jake was asking him something about police, and did he know anyone on the force?

He shook himself. "I don't really know any cops that well. Why?"

Tossing the cordless phone aside, Jake explained what had happened Friday night. He ended with a description of the messages Pete had left on Cassie's answering machine. 

Kevin swore. "Have they picked the guy up yet?"

"Not according to the officer I just talked to. To make matters worse, they won't assign any officers to watch over Cassie because he hasn't laid a finger on her. She doesn't even seem to be eligible for a restraining order at this point. I just need to go talk to a lawyer tomorrow morning," Jake said, running a hand through his hair. He glanced up toward the doorway and froze. "Hey, honey."

Heather was leaning against the door jamb, looking worried as she twisted a kitchen towel between her hands. She'd obviously overheard that last part too. "I just came to tell you breakfast is on the table."

With a sigh, Jake walked over and kissed her on the cheek. "We'll take care of this, don't worry. Right now, let's just eat and enjoy our family, OK?"

Kevin thought about leaving then – it would probably have been the polite thing to do. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. He was now preoccupied with worry about Cassie. He felt a bit sorry he'd misjudged her situation, and even sorrier because he knew she had to be going through a rough time right now. 

He hadn't seen her in over a year, maybe even longer. Even then, it had been mostly a "Hey, how are you? Well great. See ya later," kind of situation. He'd run into her at a bar, where she'd been hanging all over some guy. Of course, he'd been on a date himself at the time, so he could hardly judge her for it. 

Maybe it was arrogant of him, but he was pretty sure he knew Cassie better than just about anyone. Kevin realized she had some serious hang-ups when it came to relationships. She'd told him on their second date she didn't want anything serious, she didn't plan on ever getting married, and she liked living alone just fine, thank you very much. She didn't seem to like needing or being needed by anyone, and the first sign of commitment usually sent her running.

He took a deep breath and walked into the dining area. Cassie was sitting cross-legged on the floor, playing some silly patty-cake type game with little Faith, smiling and laughing. You could hardly tell she was under a tremendous amount of stress, Kevin thought to himself. She looked, in short, absolutely fantastic. Then again, she usually did. Cassie went to great lengths to hide what she was feeling from the world.

She glanced up and saw him. She didn't flinch. She didn't look away. She just forced a smile and said, "Hello."

"Hey Cassie."

Something about the look in her eyes reminded him of their first night together, when she'd woken him up sometime around midnight. She'd been getting dressed, searching for her clothes scattered across the hotel room floor, in the dark. "Whatsa matter?" he'd mumbled sleepily, stretching beneath the sheets. He'd startled her enough for her guard to be down when she looked at him. That look had been a mixed pot of scared, and vulnerable and panicked. Then she'd pushed her tumbled hair away from her face and said, sort of awkwardly, "I'm not the type of woman who usually sleeps with a guy on the first date, you know. I'm not –" She hadn't finished the comment, just picked up her bra and stuffed it into her purse as she turned away from him. He'd managed to get her back into bed, and she'd still been there for breakfast the next morning.

Kevin often wondered if he hadn't woken up then, if she'd have left without a word. He also wondered if he hadn't pursued her after that, if she'd have sought him out instead. He always figured the answer to both questions was no. She'd always made it clear she didn't want a "serious" relationship with anyone, least of all him. 

They hadn't lasted together long enough for him to figure out why she felt that way. Sometimes, though, he couldn't help but wondering about it. He'd run through every clichéd scenario in his mind – she'd been abused as a child and had a hard time getting close to men as a result; she'd been involved in a bad relationship and didn't want to get hurt again; she had sexual issues that prevented her from getting emotionally involved. Whatever it was, he wasn't sure he'd ever know the truth. Maybe he didn't want to know.

As quickly as it had come, that look of fear and vulnerability vanished from her eyes, now veiled by her usual meet-the-world-head-on look. "How you been doing, hot stuff?" Cassie asked him as she picked up her niece, playfully tilted the little girl upside down, and headed for the table.

"Can't complain," he returned, smiling at the picture she and Faith made together. "How's the floral business these days?"

"Flourishing, thank God." She nodded to the chair beside the one she was claiming and said, "Have a seat. I promised your little girlfriend here we'd sit beside you, so don't get any ideas. Consider me the chaperon, if you must. You try to sneak so much as one little kiss from her, and I'll pound that face of yours into oblivion, mister."

"Ah, Faith, somethin' tells me your aunt is gonna drive all your future boyfriends crazy," he played along, addressing the little girl who was now sitting on Cassie's lap, giggling at him. "She'll probably follow you on every date, armed with a handgun and ready to use it at a moment's notice."

Heather laughed, and added, "She'll probably be accompanied by Jake, who will not only be armed but who will have probably bugged the poor boy's car."

"Huh? What's a date?" Faith asked in her sweet little three-year-old voice, and they all cracked up.

The playful banter continued as they all dug into the meal Heather had prepared. Kevin noticed Cassie didn't directly address him again, but neither did she seem as nervous around him as he'd expected she might be. No one brought up the subject of why she was staying with Jake and Heather until Cassie, having pushed her plate away and lifting Faith off her lap, said, "Well, folks, I need to be going. I want to run by the hospital and visit Andi, then I need to get home and do some cleaning."

Heather argued, "Wait, I'll go with you. Just give me a little while to clean up."

"Don't worry about it, sis. You need to stay here with your family. Besides, Andi's parents are still at the hospital, so I won't be there alone. I'll be fine, really."

"OK ... what time will you be back tonight?" Heather pressed.

Cassie paused, glancing at her sister carefully, and then said, "I think I'm gonna stay at home tonight."

Before his wife could argue, Jake said, "I don't think that's a good idea. Pete's still on the loose, Cassie. I don't want you taking any chances."

"I appreciate that, but I can take care of myself." She leaned over and kissed Faith on the top of her head. "You be good, sweet girl. I'll see the rest of you later."

Heather was visibly upset that her big sister was being so stubborn about the issue but too refined to cause a scene in front of company. Jake excused himself to walk Cassie out to her car, presumably to try and change her mind. He came back a few minutes later, looking none too happy. 

Seeing his face, Heather stood up. "This whole situation is awful," she mumbled, and began cleaning away their mess. Faith, oblivious to the tension, started begging to go swimming, and Kevin suggested, "Why don't you take her, Jake, and I'll help Heather clean up. We'll meet you guys in a few minutes."

"I won't argue, I hate cleaning up. Come on, sweet pea, let's go get you ready for the lake," Jake said, lifting his daughter and retreating to the other room.

Kevin saw how tense Heather was and wished he could do something to help. He wished Cassie wasn't so pig-headed and realized how worried her family was about her.

"Tell me about your sister," he urged, seeing this as a great opportunity to learn more about the woman who'd haunted his fantasies for the past few years. "Have you two always been close?"

"Yeah." Heather smiled. "She's wonderful. She's always taken care of me. Probably more than she should have had to, but I love her dearly for it."

He scratched his chin and tried to seem casual as he mentioned, "Yeah, Jake said you lost your mom when you were young. That must have been tough on both of you."

"Well, it was on me for sure, but I sometimes wonder if it wasn't harder for Cassie. She suddenly had to go from being just my big sister to being my mom too. Did you know she worked two jobs after school to help my dad pay for my college? She could've gone herself, but she was more worried about me going." Heather sighed, looking reflective and a bit sad. "You know, even before our mom got sick, there were problems. Our parents fought a lot. I'm sure Cassie doesn't realize I remember that, but I do. I don't remember why they fought or anything, but I remember the yelling. Cassie probably knows, though. She was old enough to understand more than I did."

"That's tough," he said. "I'm sorry."

He glanced out the window. Cassie was a strong woman – she'd been conditioned to be – but was she strong enough to deal with this current situation alone? Maybe. The point was, she shouldn't have to, he decided. 

"So, does your sister still live out near Crestfield Park?" he asked casually.

"Yeah, why?"

"Just wondering ..." 

Just wondering how I'm gonna help Cassie through this, whether she likes it or not, he added to himself.

***

Four years ago ...

"You know," Cassie commented as she licked her fingers clean of barbecue sauce, "you're not a half bad cook. These wings are excellent."

"My mama taught me how to cook before I could walk, darlin', so I'll take that as a compliment," he shared, and she smiled at him.

"You know, that cute little accent of yours comes and goes, hot shot. Are you really from the south somewhere, or is it just an act to attract the ladies?" she teased.

"Texas born and bred," he swore with an impish grin, dimples and all. "Thing is, you learn pretty quick to lose the twang when you get thrown in a unit with a bunch of guys from New York and L.A. Otherwise, your life becomes a living hell of hillbilly taunts and incest jokes."

"I thought hillbillies were from Kentucky and cowboys were from Texas," she pointed out. "Cowboys are much sexier, in my opinion."

"I like the way you think," he said with a charming wink. 




Craving Cassie Ch. 01



She shook her head when Kevin lifted some wine to top off her glass. "Uh-uh. I'm driving."

"Stay," he urged, and she was beyond tempted to say yes, she would love to stay the entire night with him in his bed. But that would mean another rule broken, and she just couldn't do it. She'd already broken far too many with him.

"I can't," was all she said, not wanting to have to think up a lie as to why she couldn't. She tugged on the lapel of his t-shirt she was wearing and said, "You know I'm going to have to borrow this to get home. You did a number on the one I was wearing when I came here, you naughty boy you."

"Mmmm, but I seem to recall we both had lots of fun in the process," he said with a remembered smile as he picked up his own glass for a sip. He was leaning back on the sofa in only his jeans, stretched out and comfortable, looking sexier than any man had a right, she thought, distracted momentarily from the TV as she looked at him instead. 

She wolfed down the rest of her dinner and glanced at the college basketball game on TV with a contented sigh. "Yes we did. Look at that! That shot should have made it."

"Are you blind? It was off," he argued lazily. "Didn't even come close."

"Bull. You watch the replay. Anyway—" She smiled and rubbed her bare feet intimately against his hip. "Good food. Great sex. Game on the tube. What else you got planned for me, hot stuff?"

"Like I said before – where have you been all my life?" He lifted her feet and dragged her bare legs across his lap, then proceeded to caress his hands up and down her calves suggestively. "Did I mention I'm particularly fond of the 'great sex' you mentioned?"

Smiling, she wiggled her toes and settled more comfortably against him and the sofa. "Do tell."

"Talk's cheap. Why don't I show you instead?"

His hands were soon on her. They were gentle at first, then more demanding as they neared parts of her that were very vulnerable to his persuasion. He spread her knees and maneuvered himself between them, and Cassie just leaned back and waited to see what he had planned for her this time. When he began to rain kisses on her inner thighs, she thought she had a pretty good idea what that plan was, and she definitely approved. Most men loved receiving oral sex but did not enjoy giving it back to their partners. At least, they rarely volunteered the service, in her experience, but Kevin had surprised her by not only being considerate in that regard but very enthusiastic about it as well. He was definitely a man among men, she often found herself thinking. When his warm tongue finally found its target and flicked against her wet folds, she moaned and thought the sight of his dark head between her thighs was probably the most erotic thing she'd ever seen. His tongue did wicked things inside her, causing her to moan and arch beneath him, and it didn't take long for her to reach one hell of an orgasm.

As she floated down from the sensation, she felt him move up over her, kissing a trail along the exposed skin in the V of her shirt until she was able to circle him with her arms and thank him with a very sexy kiss. She was the one who reached between them and unzipped his jeans, freeing his cock and guiding it to her center. He slid inside with ease, but as it always seemed, they both held their breath until he was fully inside her. His thrusts were gentle and, once or twice, he lifted his head to smile down at her, which caused her to laugh and begin meeting his thrusts playfully. She always appreciated sex, for the most part, but she had never had so much fun in bed with a man the way she did with Kevin. She knew she would miss that when they were no longer together. 

Taken aback by the sad feeling that thought gave her, she buried her face in his neck and tried to focus on her own pleasure to no avail. It was gone. When Kevin reached his climax, he continued to lay there on top of her, kissing the side of her neck, and Cassie enjoyed the feeling of his weight and closeness, even though she hadn't come herself. She liked the feeling of his closeness so much, she allowed him to tempt her into his much more comfortable bed for another round of loving. She was troubled by nagging thoughts – thoughts she had no right thinking in the first place, she told herself – and had a hard time reaching another orgasm. Never-the-less exhausted from that mating, she told herself she would only lay there for a few more minutes while she gained her composure, and then she'd leave. Kevin had already drifted asleep, and she needed to get home soon....

That was her last thought until she heard the sound of a nearby alarm clock and cursed it to hell and back as she hit the snooze and buried her head beneath a pillow. Sometime later she drifted awake, and blinking, realized these surroundings were not those of her own bedroom. Dammit. She'd spent the night with him again. She wasn't sure if she was more disgusted at herself for letting it happen, or Kevin for not waking her up and telling her she should leave. He wasn't in bed and was obviously awake somewhere.

Pushing her long hair out of her eyes, she glanced around and caught the scent of coffee coming from the other room. With a sigh, she found her clothes, plus Kevin's borrowed shirt, and got dressed.

"Morning, sweetheart," Kevin greeted with a smile, slapping some butter on toast. "Sleep well?"

"Too well," she complained. "You know I wanted to leave last night. Why didn't you wake me up?"

"You looked so peaceful, I hated to disturb you. Besides, it's not a big deal, is it? You've still got an hour and a half to get to work." He poured her some coffee and handed it to her over the breakfast counter. 

"You're disgustingly cheerful for it to be so early," she grumbled, not in the mood for being around a morning person. 

He just smiled. "By the way, you never answered me last night when I told you about this weekend."

She suddenly felt very uncomfortable. He'd told her last night that Jake was having a barbecue this weekend and had invited him. Since Heather had also been invited, Kevin suggested to Cassie that they take the opportunity to go as a couple and finally let Jake and Heather know they were also dating. So far, they'd managed to keep it a secret, mainly because Cassie was more comfortable that way. She'd never dated a friend of her sister before and knew it could lead to all kinds of complications. Mainly complications in the form of Heather being upset when the relationship ended, as Cassie knew it ultimately would. She'd told Kevin up-front if he wasn't prepared for a casual relationship, he needed to say so and they could go their separate ways with no hard feelings. He'd said he was fine with that, but now she wasn't sure if he'd taken her seriously. 

Maybe it was time to go ahead and end it now, Cassie couldn't help thinking, even though she felt almost physically ill at the idea. Another sign it was time, she figured. She was starting to get attached and that wasn't her M.O. At least, it hadn't been since her first boyfriend had dumped her right after they'd graduated from high school.

Sipping her coffee, she said, "I don't think I'm going to be able to make it."

"Why not?"

"Got other plans. Sorry."

When she didn't elaborate, he frowned slightly and said, "OK. I'll just arrange for us to have dinner with them some other time."

Sighing, agitated because Kevin just wasn't getting it, she said, "I wish you wouldn't do that. In fact, I wish you wouldn't mention our involvement to anyone this weekend." Agitated, she reached into her purse and searched out a cigarette. When she went to light it, Kevin told her, "Yeah, well, I wish you wouldn't do that in here. You know I wish you wouldn't smoke at all. Those things'll kill you."

"Yeah, well, something's going to anyway." She blew out a breath of smoke, deliberately, into the room. "Who are you, my fucking father? A woman has to have some vices."

"Darlin', you've got two carved out right there," he said, looking less and less happy. "I was in the military, and I swear sometimes your mouth can be filthier than the entire Marine Corps."

She smiled, thinking Jake had once said the same thing to her. She knew for a fact her language was pretty tame compared to most of the guys they'd served with. "Sorry I'm not perfect. You know what? I need to get outta here. I gotta get home and change before work. Thanks for the coffee, hot shot. Oh, and thanks for the shirt."

He didn't say anything as she grabbed her purse, slung it over her shoulder, and headed for the door without offering a goodbye kiss like she usually did. Finally, he called out, "Wanna go out to dinner tonight, or do you have 'other plans?'"

She stopped, hearing the taunt in his voice, and turned to see that he didn't look too happy with her at the moment. Well, hell. She wasn't too happy with herself at the moment either. She should have never stayed here last night, should have never gotten so involved so quickly with someone she knew she had no business being involved with in the first place.

"Maybe," she said, and then lied when she said, "I'll give you a call if I'm free."

***

Part 2 coming soon



Craving Cassie Ch. 02



After one of the most exhausting weekends of her life and all the fuss with Andi, Cassie was relieved to get back to work. 

Yet again Cassie had spent longer at the hospital the day before than she'd planned, simply because Andrea's parents needed a break to head back to their hotel and get some sleep. Cassie stayed by her best friend's bedside all day, doing her best not to bring up uncomfortable conversational pieces like, "By the way, did you know your asshole husband threatened my life too?" Andi was still wallowing in a vat of self pity and a belief that she had brought this ordeal upon herself. If Andi had been anyone else, Cassie probably would have cussed a blue streak and shot her friend with a heavy dose of the truth. But this was Andi, and Cassie was so used to looking after her much more fragile friend that she just couldn't kick her while she was down. Then came the news Andrea would be staying with her parents rather than with Cassie while she recovered. 

Cassie herself was feeling so exhausted from this entire experience – had the abuse really started nine months ago? – that Cassie was actually grateful to be able to put some space between herself and her friend right now. 

Obviously, it wasn't going to be that easy.

Cassie tried not to show the shock she felt when Pete himself showed up at her floral shop Tuesday afternoon, as easy as you please.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded.

"How is she? Please, I just need to know that she's OK," he begged. He did look like he'd been suffering too, which was some comfort. His eyes were bloodshot and his skin was a sickly color – he'd probably been drinking himself sick since Friday night, she surmised. Yet, Cassie also noticed that Pete was wearing clean clothes and had found time to shave sometime while his wife was lying in the hospital. 

"She'll live, no thanks to you," Cassie told him. She sent a glance toward her assistant manager, who was aware of the situation involving Andi. Even if Tess didn't recognize Pete, she obviously recognized from Cassie's behavior that he was the man the police were looking for. "Tess, please call the police and tell them Pete Hendricks is here."

"Wait! Cassie," he pleaded. "Just tell me where she is. I need to see my wife. I called the hospital, but she's not there anymore. I know she's not at your place – I've been watching it. So where is she?"

"Bastard," she spat out. "I wouldn't tell you where she was even if you threatened to cut me open with your hunting knife," she taunted, also reminding him of the threat he'd left on her machine.

The change that came over him was pretty dramatic. His face lost all trace of worry for his wife and twisted into an angry slant toward Cassie. "You bitch!" he moved as if he would launch over the counter and grab her. "I know you've had the police looking for me. I saw them at the house. None of this would have happened if you'd kept your nose out of where it didn't belong. Just tell me where she is!" he yelled.

"Hey!" someone shouted from the doorway, and Cassie realized it was Kevin! He'd startled Pete so badly, Pete forgot he was going after her and instead jumped over the counter, pushed past her, and ran into the back office. She realized he had to know there was a back door there when she heard it slam open.

Kevin shouted for her to call the police as he raced past in hot pursuit. Not to be left out, Cassie took off after them, hoping Kevin caught up with the bastard and she could help beat the shit out of him.

She got as far as six blocks before she was too winded to go any further. Breathing hard, hands on her hips, she searched to see that Kevin was breathing just as hard as he walked back toward her, limping slightly and rubbing his left leg as if he'd pulled a muscle or something. When he got close enough, he said, "I lost him. Dammit!" Then he looked at her and demanded, "What the hell do you think you're doing? You were supposed to stay back there where it was safe. What if he'd had a gun?"

She blew out a breath and said, matter-of-factly, "If he'd had a gun, I guess he would have shot you by now."

"Dammit, Cassie, this isn't a joke."

"Am I laughing?"

He closed his eyes, shook his head, and then grabbed her by the arm. "Come on."

She jerked her arm free but kept up pace beside him as he walked back toward her store. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"I was in the neighborhood."

"Yeah right. You would have had to drive ten miles out of your way to get in this neighborhood. Try again."

He stopped, glanced around, looking anywhere but at her, and said, "I was keeping an eye on you. I heard shouting, and when I got closer, I caught that guy about to use you for a punching bag."

"You were WHAT?"

He finally looked at her. "Your family is very worried about you."

"I can't believe this," she grumbled as she turned and walked away. "Don't you have a business to run yourself? What? Is Heather paying you to do this?"

"Of course not," he said, obviously offended. "I'm doing it as favor to a very good friend."

"Since when did you and Heather get so close, and does Jake know?" she asked, and regretted it a second later for what it implied about her sister.

"That was low, Cassie." He sent her a hateful look. "The friend I was referring to is you."

"Dammit, I know it was low," she agreed, so she kept her mouth shut the rest of their walk. When they got back to the store, the police had arrived and were talking to Tess. They took statements from everyone and then advised Cassie to think about staying with family or friends until Pete was arrested.

"I'll be fine on my own," she insisted, but she wasn't totally stupid. "He said he'd been watching my house, so maybe you could have someone patrol my neighborhood in case he's still hanging around."

The police agreed to do that much, and when they left, Kevin stopped pacing and sent her a look that was full of meaning. She sighed and demanded, "What?"

"He's been watching your house and yet you still want to stay there?"

Cassie rubbed her eyes, feeling suddenly very tired – she hadn't slept much the last couple of nights – and admitted truthfully, "I don't think Pete would ever hurt me. He might try to scare me into thinking he would, but I don't think he has the guts to touch me because he knows I'd hit him back. Andi never did."

"That's taking a hell of a chance," he pointed out. "Fine. I hope you don't mind company then. If you won't leave, I'll just have to spend the night on your doorstep until this guy is arrested."

"Oh please. Just drop the macho act." She picked up a bundle of flowers and began arranging them in a vase. She had a wedding order to fill for this weekend. "I'll call my sister and tell her you saved my life today or some crap like that, and you can go about your business. OK?"

"Heather and Jake didn't ask me to do this; I followed my instincts. Besides, I took some time off, which is what you should have done when all this happened," Kevin informed her. "I'm not going anywhere, darlin'."

She sent him a look that would have cowered most men, then went about arranging her flowers while she ignored him. Well, pretended to ignore him was more apt. Secretly, she noticed every little detail about him, all of the changes the last few years had brought. He looked good. His hair was still short, but longer than it had been when they were together. It was also lighter, probably bleached by the sun while on one of his expeditions. He had a little bit of stubble on his face, but it suited him. 

"You know, I can't figure you out," Kevin said after a point. Had he realized she was looking him over? Nah, she decided. He folded his arms and sent her a serious look. Then he said, "You get scared to death and run at the thought of having a serious relationship with me, yet when someone actually threatens to do you physical harm, you just buck up and say 'bring it on'? I don't get it."

She was sort of startled that he'd come right out and mentioned their past relationship, so it took her a few seconds to process the taunt for what it was meant to be. Funnily enough, instead of tensing, she felt herself relaxing. "Nice try, but it won't work," she said. "Besides, I thought you would have gotten over that by now."

"What, us?" When she sent a look instead of saying "duh!" he smiled. "I don't think I ever will, sweetheart, and you know it."

"That's your problem, not mine."

"No, it's both of our problems because you're in the same boat," he accused, then stood up and headed for the door. "I'm heading home to pack a change of clothes. I'll be back later."

"Don't bother," she yelled after him, but the door had already shut. She sighed. As if she didn't have enough problems, now she had to deal with an ex on a macho trip?

What next? she wondered. 

***

When Cassie made it home that evening, she breathed a sigh of relief when she didn't see Kevin's car sitting in the driveway in front of her condo, or anywhere on the street. Well, she wasn't surprised, maybe he'd taken her at her word and left her alone, but she was surprised at how disappointed she felt that he wasn't here.

"Yeah, right, Cass," she berated herself as she shut off her engine. "As if you want to get messed up with him again. Remember how much it hurt last time?"

She shook herself out of that funk and determined not to think of Kevin Cooper any more. Besides, she had other things to focus on – namely making sure Pete Hendricks wasn't stalking her to get to his wife. Slinging her purse over her shoulder, Cassie waved at her neighbor, the elderly Mr. Johnson, as she walked to her door. She took careful glances around, down the street, around the corner, at her neighbor's yards, as she put the key in the door and tried not to look like she was hurrying inside out of fear. If Pete was watching her place, which she highly doubted, she didn't want to give him any satisfaction.

She shut the door, tossed her keys on the table by the window and reached to turn on the lamp.

"Hey Cassie. Good day at work?"

She screamed. Not loud enough to have Mr. Johnson running over, but loud enough to get the point across that she was startled. 

"Kevin!" she nearly shouted, seeing the man leaning against the wall not even four feet away from where she stood. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Proving a point," he said, with a careless shrug. "If I can get in your house without you noticing, don't you think someone else can too?" Before she could respond – she was still breathing hard, her heart beating a mile a minute from the fright he'd given her – he pushed himself away from the wall. She hardly had time to notice he was holding something in his hands before he came at her. She heard a ripping sound, felt her hands being tugged forward and pushed together, and then saw that he had roped her wrists with some sort of tape, all before she could blink or knew what was even happening.

"So, how was your day, honey?" he asked calmly, as if he were doing nothing more than greeting her at the door. 

"Hey! What the hell are you doing?" she yelled at him, trying to pull her arms free and kick him, but he moved too fast.

"Still haven't figured it out yet? OK." With a tug of her bound wrists, he pulled her flush against him, and then backed her up against the wall. Cassie tried jerking her hands away but couldn't free them from his grasp. The way he'd positioned his body against hers, she couldn't move her legs or twist away from him. She was trapped. He was starting to scare her ...

"Kevin," she pleaded. 

The look in his eyes was confusing. His eyes kept drifting to her mouth as if he wanted to kiss her, but when he met her eyes, he was cold – like a total stranger. She swallowed, and pushed herself closer to the wall.

"Get it yet, Cassie?" he asked harshly and then pushed himself away from her. "Do you realize just how vulnerable you are? If Pete really wanted to break in here and do you harm, it would be pretty easy. Hell, I'm surprised you haven't been robbed yet, as easy as it was. Why the hell don't you have an alarm?"

Sighing, she closed her eyes and relaxed her body. She should have known Kevin would never hurt her. He was only trying to be a jackass by making her too afraid to stay here alone.

"I'm not exactly rolling in money," she told him needlessly. "I can barely afford payments on this place, let alone an alarm."

"Let's focus on how easy it was to tie your hands before you realized what was happening," he continued, as if she hadn't spoken. "You act all tough, but when it comes right down to it, you've never had any self defense training, have you?"

She'd always meant to, but she'd never had the time. Cassie sealed her lips and glared at him, knowing anything she said now would just be used against her.

"Nothing to say?" he demanded.

"Yeah," she disagreed. "Get out."

Never in a million years would she have expected him to do as she said. She expected him to argue, to try something else to prove how "vulnerable" she was. Instead, he sent her a steady look, tugged his keys out of his jean pocket, and left through the back without saying a word!

She was so taken by surprise, it took her several seconds to realize her hands were still bound by duct tape and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get free. Blowing her long hair out of her eyes, Cassie considered ways to free herself. Finally, she decided to try and grab a knife from the kitchen and cut herself free. After several minutes of grappling with the only knife she could easily get to and dropping it on the floor repeatedly, she let out a string of cuss words and stomped her foot like a temperamental child. Now what could she do?

"Having fun?" Kevin said, and she realized he had returned and was propped against the doorjamb, watching her.

"You jerk! Get me outta this," she demanded. He considered her for a few seconds, making a face as he pretended to consider it. Finally, she caved, and rolling her eyes, added, "Please."

"Hmmm. I don't know. It's not often I get the upper hand when dealing with Cassandra Ross," he said, as he approached her slowly. "I think I like having you tied up and forced to listen. Then again, I don't think I've ever heard you say 'please' before. What's a guy to do?"

"Ha Ha. Very funny. Will you please cut me loose now?"

"I would, but—" 

"But what?" she demanded.

"I'm not finished making my point, sweetheart. Sorry."

"What – aahhh! What the hell are you doing?" she squealed when instead of cutting her hands free, he bent his knees and slung her over his shoulder, fireman-style. Her world suddenly went upside down, and all she could see as he began moving was a terrific up-close view of his butt and her hair flapping all around her. "Kevin!"

He stopped long enough to say, pointedly, "Cassie, do you really want to make a scene in front of your neighbors by screamin' and hollerin'? If so, I'm game, but I can promise you if you keep your mouth shut, no one will see you slung over my shoulders like a sack of potatoes and your reputation as a good neighbor will remain intact. Do you trust me?"

Dammit. He knew her well enough to know she didn't like to bring attention to herself. He also knew damn well she trusted him. But what the heck was he doing? She asked him that very question for the second time in as many minutes, even as she thumped the back of his legs with her bound hands.

He chuckled as he began walking. "Isn't it obvious, sweetheart? I'm kidnapping you."

*** Four years ago...

It had been three days since Kevin had attended Jake's barbecue – alone – and five days since he'd heard from the woman he'd thought he was dating.

He'd left Cassie messages. She hadn't returned them. He'd gone by her shop. She'd always been "out to lunch." She never answered his knocks on her door at home.

He thought about contacting Jake to ask what was going on with Cassie, but she'd made him promise he wouldn't alert anyone about their relationship – another clue, he suspected, that she was trying to end things before they really began. He wouldn't pretend to be happy about it. He'd thought she was special, and he'd felt things around her he'd never felt before. On the other hand, she obviously didn't feel the same about him, so what was the point?

That's why he was caught off guard when he answered a knock on his apartment door one night to find her leaning casually against the doorjamb. "Hey, hot stuff."

"Cassie," he said with some surprise. Then he remembered how she'd been avoiding him and felt a wave of anger rise within him. "Gee. I had almost forgotten what you looked like."

She smiled and punched him in the shoulder as she invited herself in and pushed past him. "You don't do sarcasm well, Kevin. Stick to comedy."

He smelt alcohol on her breath and knew instantly she'd been drinking. He looked for her car, hoping she hadn't driven over here, and was relieved to see the tail lights of a cab rounding the corner. He closed the door and watched her try to tug her jacket off her shoulders. When she finally looked at him, she flopped back on his couch as if she were right at home and smiled. "Wow, you look good. Real good. You been working out?"

"I always work out," he said, but she knew that. With a sigh, he ran a hand through his hair and asked, "What are you doing here, Cassie?"

"You know," she looked around, made a dismissive gesture with her hand, "I got your messages and all. Sorry this is the first chance I've had to get back to you. I've been ... busy."

"Yeah, I guessed," he said, and took a seat across from her.

"Why are you sitting all the way over there, cowboy?" She patted the sofa beside her and said, "I don't bite. Well, unless you want me to."

He couldn't believe this woman. Hot and cold. What kind of man did she think he was to put up with it? He made himself settle down before simply reacting and asking her to leave. She was here. That had to mean something, right? Least he could do was try and meet her halfway.

He leaned forward and sent her what he hoped was a straight-forward look. "Listen, Cassie, I think we need to talk about our relationship – if we have one, that is – before this goes any further."

"Whoa, Kevin, fella," she giggled. "I think someone needs to lighten up. Of course we have a relationship." He breathed a sigh of relief, then cringed when she added, "We're friends."

"Friends?"

"Yeah, friends." She smiled as she leaned forward and traced a finger along his knee suggestively. "Well, friends with benefits – the best kind to have." When he stopped her hand from traveling further and pushed it away, she leaned back and giggled, then said, "Hell, you're probably one of the best friends I've ever had. I still can't believe I told you about what Becky Simmons did to me! I can count on one hand the number of people I've told that to. You didn't even laugh at me for being so damned stupid."

He tried to remember who the hell Becky Simmons was. Oh wait a second. He grimaced, recalling the story she'd told him. Becky had been her roommate, one of her best friends from high school, or so Cassie had thought until she'd come home one day and found the locks had been changed on their shared apartment. Apparently, sweet old Becky had let her then boyfriend move in with them, and he hadn't wanted Cassie around as a third wheel. Becky had sided with the boyfriend, and Cassie had been out on her ass.

Kevin sat back and admitted, "I'm glad you consider us close friends at this point, but I was hoping we were a little more than that."

"Well, I sure as hell haven't slept with any of my friends before!" she said, then burst out laughing. When she calmed down, she must have realized he wasn't laughing too. Then she got nervous, started shifting around. In a babble, she continued, "I haven't really slept with that many guys. Four – no, five now." She held up four fingers. "Yep. Five is all. Bet you probably thought I've slept around more than that."




Craving Cassie Ch. 02



"Cassie, I don't care how many guys you've slept with, as long as you haven't slept with them while we've been together," he told her in all fairness. "I care about you. I care about you as more than a friend. I'd like to know if you feel the same way about me."

It was the moment of truth, and Cassie, no matter how drunk she might be, recognized that. It showed in her eyes, which suddenly reminded him of a deer's caught in the headlights. She fidgeted, looked everywhere but at him, then smiled and stood up to start pacing. "Why are we talking about this stuff anyway? Let's just have fun, the way we usually do. Hey, is there a game on tonight?' she asked, glancing hopefully toward his television.

He stood up and cornered her physically as well as emotionally. He was willing to be patient with her as long as she gave him a reason to be. "Cassie, why did you come here tonight?"

"I just, you know," she finally looked at him. "I missed talking to you."

"That's a good thing," Kevin smiled, feeling encouraged, finally.

"Look," she said, turning away and rubbing her arms with her hands, as if she were cold. "I told you I was only interested in a casual relationship when we met. I'm not good at girlfriend-boyfriend stuff. I make a lousy girlfriend, even I know that. So can't we just be friends who sleep together when we get the itch? Isn't that easier, anyway?"

She smiled and slid her hand up his chest. He caught her hand and disagreed, "No, it's not." He felt like a fool as he admitted, "I've been knocked for a loop this past week, not knowing if or when I'd hear from you again. I can't live with that kind of relationship. Not anymore. I'm getting too damn old to play those kind of games."

"What are you – a woman?" she scoffed. "Isn't what I'm offering every guy's dream come true? I don't get it."

"I'm not most guys," he agreed. "Look, we can take this slow. I'm willing to wait on the more as long as I know it's a possibility."

"More, like what? Like living together?" she asked hesitantly.

"Maybe, yeah. Maybe even marriage someday. Cassie, I'm ninety percent positive I'm falling for you. I'm falling hard. I've never cared about anyone the way I care about you, and how long have we known each other? A month? That's pretty serious."

"I'm not sure I even know how to do serious," she admitted. "Look, I think maybe you were right. I should just leave. I don't think this is going to work out, and I don't want you to get hurt if I stick around and decide later I can't handle it."

"Cassie—"

"No," she pushed him away when he went to touch her, to comfort her. "I'm sorry, Kevin. You're a great guy, and you're gonna make some woman very happy someday. I'm sorry, but that woman isn't going to be me."

***

Kevin pulled his mind back from his memories of Cassie and turned to look at her sitting now in the passenger seat of his truck. She hadn't said much, which spoke volumes, so he knew she was pissed at him. 

Let her stew, he told himself and turned his eyes back to the road. His methods were unusual, maybe, but you couldn't just sit a woman like Cassie down and rationally advise her on how to protect herself. He'd done what he had to in order to protect her, as much from her own pride as from Pete Hendricks. He was taking her somewhere safe. Heather and Jake knew all about it, and they'd promised to call Kevin on his cell phone when Pete was caught, and he would be, of that Kevin was certain. Pete wasn't a career criminal who knew how to evade capture for long. Sooner or later he'd do something stupid like go home or back to work and end up on the police radar.

Kevin sent Cassie another glance and reached into his jacket for some gum. She was taking in their passing surroundings, not that it would do her much good. It was dark outside and getting darker where they were going. She wouldn't be able to recognize anything if she had the sudden notion to try to head home. She turned and her eyes shot sparks at him.

"Quit staring at me," she told him. She shifted in her seat and went to brush her hair out of her eyes but couldn't because her wrists were still taped together. "I don't see why you won't cut my hands free. I could have made a fuss when you put me in the car, but I didn't, did I?"

"Nope," he agreed, and was surprised she hadn't. He popped a stick of gum in his mouth, chewed it a bit, and sent her another sideways glance. "I suppose I could cut you free now. We're miles from anywhere. You could try to escape, but you'd only get lost and end up in worse shape than you are now."

She held out her wrists. "Just do it," she ordered.

He pulled the truck over and complied. Cassie winced when he pulled the tape off – he'd hated to use it, but it was all he'd had on such short notice. She sighed and grudgingly muttered, "Thanks." She blew a breath out and nodded toward his jacket pocket. "Can I have some of that gum?"

He eyed her warily, wondering if she was trying to play some kind of trick. "I didn't think you liked gum."

"How would you even know?" She held out a hand and wiggled her fingers. "I'm dying for a smoke. I need something to put in my mouth."

Kevin couldn't help but smile at the thought that popped into his head. It was naughty, dirty and totally inappropriate. His cock twitched at his unspoken thoughts. He handed her the gum. "Did you finally give the habit up, or are you going to drive me crazy wanting some cigarettes?" he asked. 

She eagerly popped the gum into her mouth, made a face as if she were chewing ambrosia, and sighed. "Gave it up a few years ago. I didn't want Faith to be around it."

"Good for you." Satisfied she wasn't going to try and flee, he directed the truck back onto the road. "Is that all you gave up?"

"What, you mean sex?" She sent him a mean look. "None of your business."

He smiled at her. "I was actually thinking about your potty mouth."

He wasn't sure because it was so dark, but he had a pretty good idea the unshakeable Cassie Ross got embarrassed then. She turned away, was quiet for a second, and then said, "I've been trying to watch my language too. I was doing pretty good until all of this sh—stuff happened."

"I don't believe it. You've turned into a regular choir girl." She sent him another glare, and he chuckled. "I don't mean to give you a hard time, Cassie. I think it's great."

"Yeah, well, a saint like you would," she muttered.

He chuckled and sent her a suggestive smile. "I'm hardly a saint." Especially around her, he thought, and tried focusing on the road. 

Kevin almost missed the exit he'd been looking for. When they managed to get up the drive, Cassie, seeing nothing but trees, asked, "Where are we going, or is the hostage not supposed to ask things like that?"

He smiled at her wit. "We're going to my friend's cabin."

When the headlights put a spotlight on the cabin, which was small and rustic-looking, Cassie murmured, "Who's your friend – the Unabomber? Geez."

She hopped out of the truck as soon as he put it in park, and he tensed, prepared to spring out after her. He realized how ridiculous he was being when she only moved toward the cabin, taking it all in with interest.

Kevin grabbed his bag and the bag he'd packed for her and followed her up the steps. "I know it doesn't look like much, but it's got all the basics – bathroom, kitchen, fireplace, electricity," he said.

She pushed past him, turned on the light, and surveyed the interior, which was, thankfully, nicer than the exterior. Cassie's eyes lingered on the bedroom loft before she turned and looked at him with an expression he couldn't read.

"OK. We're here. Now what?" she asked, arms crossed and looking bored.

"Now we enjoy a little time away from the chaos of everyday life," he said and tossed her the gym bag he'd filled with her clothes and toiletries. "Consider this a vacation of sorts."

"A vacation?" She pretended to consider it. "No offense, but my idea of a vacation involves the tropics, a five-star hotel, and plenty of tequila to go around. This doesn't exactly compare." She opened the bag he'd handed her, arched an eyebrow seeing the choice of clothes he'd packed – mostly skimpy t-shirts, jeans, some lingerie, etc. – and then tossed it aside. "So are Jake and Heather going to show up with the kid? Are we going to build a bonfire and all sit around and sing 'Kumbaya'?"

"I'm afraid not." He smiled. "Heather is going to watch after your shop while you're gone, and Jake is participating in the great manhunt for your pal Pete. I'm afraid it's just you and me, sweetheart."

"Got everything planned out all nice and neat, don't ya?" She glanced around, then back at him. "Just how long are you planning to keep me hostage here anyway?"

"As long as it takes," he said, moving to light a fire in the fireplace. It was a bit chilly inside the closed-up cabin at night. "And you're not a hostage."

"Oh I see. So I'm free to leave anytime I choose," she clarified in that smart-ass tone she was so good at. "Glad you cleared that up."

She moved toward the doorway with purpose, and he was right there to stop her. She narrowed her eyes at him and tried to push past. He blocked her exit again.

"Good grief," she complained. "Can't I just take a look around outside? Geez."

"Uh-uh, sweetheart. You get out the door and you're making a run for it," he guessed.

"As if." She crossed her arms and pointed out, "For one thing, I'm too out of shape to run. This afternoon proved that. For another, I'm not crazy. I can't hotwire that truck, and I don't have a car of my own. I could probably make it to the road, but I didn't see much traffic on the way here. I doubt anyone other than a total perv would stop and pick me up if I hitched. Should I continue?"

He relaxed. "Point taken." He moved aside and told her, "Don't wander too far. It's dark outside. I might not find you if you get lost."

He watched her – he wasn't crazy either – and could see the wheels turning in her head as she surveyed the dark woods around them. Sooner or later she'd realize she wasn't going anywhere. Maybe then she'd also realize they were alone, together, and Kevin had every intention of making her realize she could trust him with her thoughts, with her body, and especially with her heart.

You see, the real reason Kevin had arranged this "kidnapping" wasn't to protect her from Andrea's husband. It was because he'd realized he and Cassie had a lot of unfinished business between them.

And this time he wasn't going to take no for an answer. 

***

Four years ago...

Cassie hit the save button on her answering machine and flopped down on her sofa, contemplating the situation she now found herself in.

She had five saved messages from Kevin on her machine since the night she'd gotten drunk and ended up at his place. She groaned at that memory. She should have just deleted the messages on her machine, but for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to. She wanted to be able to hear the sound of his voice when she got really down, as crazy as that might sound. After all, she was the one who'd broken things off with him. She was the one who hadn't returned any of his phone calls and who had told him she wasn't interested in anything serious. 

But still he kept calling her ...

She picked up the phone and knew she had to seal the deal, so to speak. For some reason, Kevin wasn't giving up as easily as all the other guys she'd dealt with in the past. He'd left message after message trying to reassure her he could live with a casual relationship, if that's what Cassie really wanted. She didn't believe him. Kevin Cooper deserved better, anyway. She was so emotionally crippled when it came to love and romance, she would only make him hate her in the end anyway. She dialed his number, expecting him to pick up when he saw her number on the caller ID. Instead, she got his machine, and breathed a sigh of relief that she would be able to do this the easy way. In a calm, casual voice she told him she was sorry she hadn't gotten back to him sooner but she'd been very busy.

"I met this guy – Ben something-or-other – and I've been out with him pretty much every night this week," she lied. "Anyway, I've got a date with him Friday night, but I'm sure he'll be gone Saturday morning if you want to get together later that night. Just give me a call and let me know. See ya, hot stuff."

Pressing the END button, she sighed and closed her eyes, half wondering if she'd done the right thing. If it was right, she wondered, why did she have to fight the urge to call him back and admit everything she'd just said was a lie – that she wasn't that type of woman at all? Even worse, why did she feel like she'd just lost her best friend? Oh, she wasn't completely oblivious to her feelings. She knew she cared about him – more than she had about any other man – but she didn't trust her feelings any more than she trusted his. Even if they gave it a shot and got all lovey dovey for a year or two, the odds said one or both of them would wake up one morning and realize the feeling was gone. Then where would she be? Either stuck in a relationship she didn't want anymore or ousted from a relationship she wanted desperately. No thanks.

Cassie was a loner. She liked being a loner. Well, that's what she had fooled herself into thinking anyway.

Biting her lip, Cassie wondered if Kevin would call her back. Maybe he cared enough to fight for her, even if he thought she was promiscuous and hopeless and fickle. Men liked a challenge, didn't they? She felt a flair of hope that he would call, and she knew if he did call her after the message she'd left, she wouldn't be able to fight him anymore. She didn't want to fight him anymore, she realized with sudden, stabbing clarity. As much as it scared her to death, she wanted to take a chance that what she felt for him was real and lasting, she realized. She just wasn't brave enough to take that leap without a sign from him first. Yeah, she was a coward, and she knew it. A living, breathing study in contradictions.

So she sat on the sofa for the rest of the night, surfing through reruns of old TV shows, chewing her nails, and hoping he'd call. When the night passed with no calls, she decided Kevin might not have gotten the message yet. The next night, she stayed home, holding her cordless phone and waiting anxiously for some sign that he might really be falling in love with her. The days passed. Days turned into weeks.

He never called.

Cassie told herself it didn't matter. It probably wouldn't have worked out anyway.

***

Kevin flipped his cell phone shut and grimaced as he looked back toward the cabin where Cassie was still sleeping like a baby. They still hadn't caught Pete Hendricks, but they were close. The private investigator Jake hired had tracked Pete to a distant relative's house in the next county. The place was now being watched, and as soon as Pete returned from wherever he was at the moment, they would grab him.

On one hand, Kevin was glad to hear it. On the other ... that gave him less time to keep Cassie here, and less time to convince her to give a relationship between them a chance.

Time to take a big leap of faith, he decided after checking on Cassie and finding her still asleep and snuggled up in the covers like a cute little girl. At least someone had gotten some sleep. His back was still stiff from sleeping on the floor next to the door, and his eyes felt like someone had tossed a cup of sand in them. Funnily enough, Cassie hadn't tried to sneak past him the two or three times he had dozed off last night. Maybe she'd been asleep all night, but he didn't think so.

Reluctantly, he left her a note and placed it where she couldn't miss it if she woke up – on the pillow next to her, weighed down with a rose he'd picked outside. Yeah, he knew it was cheesy and sappy and cliché, but he was getting desperate to make a dent in her armor. Maybe she would even appreciate the gesture, since she liked flowers so much, he thought.

Half an hour later, he was anxious and worried that perhaps he'd made a mistake leaving her alone. She still had her cell phone – he'd never taken it away, although he'd given her restrictions on when and how she could use it. It was entirely possible she'd woken up, called someone to pick her up, and would be gone when he got back. 

Loading his package into the truck as he left the general store near the cabin, he caved in and dialed her cell phone. She answered on the third ring. She sounded sort of funny.

"What's wrong, Cassie?"

"What makes you think something is wrong?" she asked, and he pointed out how strange she'd sounded when she'd answered. 

"Well, the phone scared me half to death, Kevin. I wasn't expecting anyone to call," she admitted in a huff, and he thought he heard the sound of splashing water in the background, so he asked, "What are you doing, anyway?"

"If you must know, I'm in the bathtub, soaking my muscles and trying to get my head to stop pounding," she told him. 

"You...you're in the tub?"

"Yes, I'm in the tub. I couldn't leave this place without trying it out once," she said, and he remembered her commenting more than once on how uncommon claw-footed tubs were these days. "Speaking of which, where the hell are you?" she demanded testily.

"Oh, I had to go pick up some things to keep us stocked," he admitted, although he didn't clarify what he'd picked up. Talking to her now, he wondered if he should continue with his plans, and smiled, knowing he should and would.

"I should be back in a few minutes. I'm not too far from the road that leads to the cabin. I, uh..." his voice trailed off. He cleared his throat. "So, are you still in the tub?"

"No, Kevin, I just got out of the tub to get dressed. Now I'm in the bedroom." He could hear the smile in her voice now, and he smiled too. 

"So, um, what are you wearing?" he asked casually, feeling a little thrill at the image that came to mind as well as the idea of flirting with Cassie over the phone. "Nothin', I suppose. You haven't had much time to get dressed," he pointed out.

He could really hear the smile now when she said, "Actually, I just put on an old robe I found in the closet – an old, ugly, ratty-looking robe that covers me from chin to toe."

"A robe, huh?" He smiled as he directed the truck closer to the cabin. "Hmmm. Well, not ideal, but I can work with that."

"Huh?"

"Lay down on the bed, Cassie." He dropped his voice down to a deep, whispery, seductive sound. "Imagine I'm undoing the sash – with my teeth ..."

She laughed and told him, "You're an idiot, Kevin."

"Can't blame a guy for trying." 

"I'm hanging up now," she told him. "I don't want to get caught half naked when you walk through the door."

"Hey, I wouldn't mind. Really."

"Bye, Kevin."

Feeling more confident about what he had in store for her, he turned up the radio and whistled along with the tune as he drove the short mile back to the cabin. He was half hoping she would let him catch her changing when he walked in, but she was fully dressed, curled up in the chair, and flipping through the small selection of channels on the old TV when he got there. He smiled at her, and she rolled her eyes but smiled too.

He sat the bag of items he'd purchased on the table, and she groaned. "Please tell me those aren't a week's worth of groceries."

"These aren't a week's worth of groceries."

"Seriously?" she perked up and had to come inspect for herself. He, however, jerked the bag out of her reach before she could peek inside. She crossed her arms and glared at him. "OK, Cooper, what's in the bag?"

"A surprise," he told her. 

"I hate surprises," she argued. "Let me see ..."

He swatted her hand away and pulled the bag into safe territory. "Be a good girl and you'll find out." Ignoring her protests, he took the bag and hugged it to his side so she couldn't get to it. "Do me a favor and go take a walk or something. You'll get a surprise when you come back. Just give me fifteen minutes to set things up. That's all, I promise."




Craving Cassie Ch. 02



"What are you up to, Cooper?"

He just grinned. "Fifteen minutes."

Reluctantly, she sighed and reached for her cell phone. "Yeah, well, I need to call my sister anyway. Fifteen minutes," she promised, sending him a narrow-eyed look of mistrust.

Kevin knew he should have asked for more time, but at least he was able to hide most of the products he'd purchased and ready the ones he needed the quickest. A glance at his watch showed his time was almost up. If he knew Cassie, she'd be back before her allotted time, just to snoop. He bounded down the steps of the cabin just in time to intercede her. "OK, Cooper, where's the surprise?" she demanded when she saw him coming to meet her.

Kevin revealed his first surprise from the bag.

"A video? This is what the fuss is all about?" Cassie asked when he handed it over. She read the title, "An Officer and a Gentleman. Hmmm. Never seen it."

"You told me that once, and I couldn't believe it," Kevin said, taking it back and readying the video player. "It's a great movie, Cassie. A great movie."

"And now that you've got me held hostage, you're going to force me to watch it?" she asked sarcastically. She curled up comfortably in the only chair in the cabin and asked, "Where's the popcorn?" when he stretched out on the floor beside her.

When the movie finished nearly two hours later, Kevin heard Cassie sniffling. He sent her a glance to determine whether or not she had actually cried at the end. She got to her feet, sent him a quelling look, and warned, "Shut up." She went straight for some paper towels, and he just had to chuckle.

"Guess you liked it, huh?"

"It wasn't bad."

"You loved it," he determined, although she was just too stubborn to admit it.

"Maybe. Richard Gere was hot."

"You loved it." He chuckled. "Admit it, Ross, you've got a romantic streak just like everyone else."

She admitted nothing. She reclaimed her place in the chair, blew her nose, and looked at him. "So is that it? I seem to remember the bag looking bigger than that."

He smiled wryly. "I don't suppose you want to take another walk for a few minutes."

She shook her head in exasperation, but was obviously willing to go with the flow. "I guess I could use some fresh air."

He had deliberately left his car keys laying out today. He saw her glance at them on the table as she got up to leave, and he knew she was considering taking them. He had no plans to stop her if she did – what would be the point? 

She reached for her cell phone and bypassed the keys. "I'll be back. This had better be good, Cooper, or you're toast."

He just smiled. He had her curious, and they both knew it.

***

Cassie took a deep breath and hesitated before entering the cabin.

Kevin was starting to get to her. Starting? Truth was, he'd been getting to her all week. But today, first waking up to that sweet note and rose followed by that incredibly romantic movie, he had stirred old feelings to the forefront, despite the fact she'd been fighting them back all weekend.

One part of her wanted to go inside and jump his bones right now. Maybe not fight so hard if he suggested they try a relationship again. God, she had to be getting old to even consider it. On the other hand, she was still raw from the emotion of finding her best friend beaten half to death by the man who'd promised to love her until the day he died. Cassie knew Kevin was nothing like Pete, but she also remembered thinking that Pete was a great guy when he and Andi had first married. People changed. Feelings changed. It was a fact of life.

Well, she was getting older. Hopefully that also meant she was wiser and more mature than she had been when she had first met Kevin. She'd run from him because she'd been scared to death. Maybe the experience had taught her something. Helped her grow. Maybe she was finally ready to try a relationship without running, and Kevin would be the ideal partner.

If it was just about sex, Cassie could handle that, but this thing with Kevin wasn't just about sex. She didn't think it ever had been, really. That still scared her, and she knew she couldn't trust her judgment right now. She might mistake Kevin's attention for something more than it actually was, and then where would she be? Worse, what if she mistook her own feelings as something close to love, and three months from now realized it was only lust? 

She told herself to stop doubting and start believing. Maybe she could pull it off. Maybe not.

She steeled herself and entered the cabin, and then melted all over again when she saw what Kevin had done.

There were literally dozens of flowers around the cabin. Flowers were and had always been her weakness, and even though she worked with them day after day, she had never lost her passion for them.

"Where did you get all of these?" she asked wondrously, stepping over to finger some of the petals on a long-stemmed wildflower.

"Outside, this morning," he said simply, and moved to grab her hand and pull her forward. "Welcome to your next surprise." He led her to the bathroom, where he'd drawn her up another bath, complete with wonderfully-scented bubbles and topped with flower petals this time. Earlier, she'd poured a little bit of shampoo in the tub to make some suds, which hadn't lasted long. Now, Kevin had candles perched around the tub, as well as a glass of wine sitting on a nearby shelf. "You beat me to the idea this morning, but I think you had to cut your bath short when you found out I was coming back. This time you can take a more leisurely soak and relax," he told her.

All she could say was, "Wow."

"Good response." He smiled and handed her a towel and a robe – a short, silk one she remembered having in her closet at home but hardly ever wearing. "Take your time. When you're done, I'll have your next surprise ready."

"I don't think you could top this," she admitted a bit breathlessly. She tried to think what he could have planned next, and guessed, "It's not some elaborate dinner, is it?"

"It's a surprise, remember? Yell if you need anything," he told her, and squeezed out of the bathroom to leave her to it.

With a sigh of contentment, Cassie slid into the tub and instantly felt her muscles begin to relax. She moaned and considered taking a sip of the wine he'd left for her. On second thought, she wasn't touching the stuff. She barely drank anymore, and probably shouldn't around this particular man. Not if she wanted to keep her wits about her.

She knew exactly what Kevin was doing. He was trying to seduce her, and big surprise, it was working.

She stayed in the tub for almost forty-five minutes, until the water became too cool to stand and her fingers were shriveling up like prunes. She supposed all good things must come to an end. She was feeling so relaxed that she was almost drowsy. If Kevin pointed her in the direction of the bed and told her to go to sleep now, she would be a very happy woman indeed.

Instead, when she stepped out, her hair piled on top of her head and dressed only in the short robe, she saw that Kevin had lit even more candles all around the cabin. In the fading daylight, the inside was cast in a romantic glow. 

"All done?" he asked, and she wondered why he was standing there with a towel draped over his arm. "Step this way, my lady. Prepare yourself for a relaxing massage, the likes of which you will never forget."

"Massage?"

"Yep." He nodded toward the floor, where he'd laid out some towels and pillows. "It's not the Ritz, but hey, three minutes on the floor with me, and you won't know the difference."

She smiled. "I'll bet."

Cassie was too relaxed and too happy to argue as she followed his instructions and laid on the floor, face down. She'd never actually had a massage before – she didn't like the idea of a complete stranger touching her, plain and simple. Now, however, she used her arms as a pillow and sighed blissfully as she waited on Kevin to retrieve the massage oil he'd heated. She felt him kneel down beside her, heard something squirt into his hands, and then felt him gently begin to soothe the oil into her skin. He started with her feet and worked his way up her thighs. She moaned. Man, that felt good. Really, really good.

"I bet you've never had a massage by a professional before, have you?" he asked, beginning to work his magic hands under the hem of her robe at her thighs. She felt him shift his body so that he was straddling her back. She swore she felt his lips brush against her ear, then teasing the back of her neck. "Feel good?"

"Mmmm," she moaned when his hands found her shoulders beneath the collar of the robe. "Where did you get so good at this? Wait a second. I don't think I want to know the answer that question," she murmured lazily.

"I had almost a year of physical therapy with my leg," he explained, as his hands soothed away the knots that had lingered from her bath. "You know, I could do a much better job if we took this off," he said casually, tugging on the collar of the robe. "That way I can give you the full Kevin Cooper experience. What do you say?"

"Mmmm."

"Is that a yes or a no?" She definitely felt his breath teasing her ear as he talked.

She smiled. "Mmmm. OK." Since he'd already seen her naked, she supposed it didn't matter now.

She helped him maneuver her out of the robe, and she didn't feel the least bit self-conscious about being facedown on the floor with him fully clothed and herself naked aside from the bikini panties she wore. She pillowed her head on her arms again and closed her eyes. She smiled when she felt him shift behind her, then she felt his hands gently massaging her buttocks.

"You have a beautiful body, Cassie. Do you know that?"

Her sarcastic "Yeah, right," came out sounding like another blissful "Mmmm" instead.

His hands continued their journey up her back, and as if he couldn't resist the temptation, she felt him slide his fingers down the sides of her bare breasts and linger. She moaned, and he leaned down and kissed her shoulder. As his hands slid up her shoulder blades, his lips made a path along the column of her neck.

She felt him behind her, engulfing her with his heat, and realized how incredibly sensual and sexual the position was. When his lips skimmed the corner of her lips, she turned to meet him until his mouth was teasing hers open at the seam. His tongue pushed forward, and she sighed into him, remembering what a great kisser he had always been.

They tasted each other for what seemed like minutes but could have only been seconds. Feeling him pull away, Cassie pushed herself up, following him, trying to maintain contact with his lips. He leaned back, tugged his tee shirt over his head, and then leaned down to kiss her again. His slick hands slid around her, cupping her breasts, massaging them as she twisted to match the heat of his mouth, the thrust of his tongue against her own. She felt the bare skin of her back slide against the bare skin of his chest, and she felt a delicious thrill at the skin-on-skin contact.

"Turn over, Cassie," he urged and kept kissing her. "Let me do the front."

She had just turned over and felt him settle down on top of her, his jean-clad legs snuggled into the V of her bare legs, his mouth doing wild and wicked things to her own, when the shrill sound of a phone ringing startled them both out of the heat of the moment.

"What the hell?" Kevin demanded, looking in the direction of the sound. Determining it was his cell phone, he looked back down at Cassie, focused on the sight of her wet and swollen mouth, and then said, "Hold that thought." He kissed her hard and heavy in parting but got up to answer the phone, leaving Cassie lying hot and naked on the floor, panting and wondering what the hell had just happened.

She could tell from his side of the conversation that it was Jake. When Kevin asked about Pete, it was like pouring a cold glass of water on Cassie. Some of her sensibilities began to return then, and Cassie reached for her discarded robe and tugged it back on. 

She blew out a breath and looked around, trying to make sense of how things had progressed so fast. Her eyes fell on the sight of a box sitting on the edge of the end table, next to the massage oil Kevin had used on her. She heard Kevin end his call and say, "Good news. Pete is in custody."

He saw that she had put her robe back on and was holding something. 

"A box of condoms?" Cassie asked, holding the box up. He almost turned red. He obviously hadn't meant to leave those in plain sight. He laughed awkwardly. 

Kevin took the box from her and tossed it over his shoulder. It landed somewhere with a thud. "Well, I guess my seduction techniques are a bit rusty." He sighed and lowered himself to the floor beside her. "Look, Cassie, I realize you didn't ask for any of this to happen to you. You put up with a lot before I even kidnapped you – for lack of a better word. I thought we'd make today fun, help you relax. That's all. If you happened to let me seduce you at the end of the day, hey, even better. But it's not expected, OK."

"Not expected?" she repeated with a short laugh, referring to the box of condoms he'd purchased – a multi-pack, no less. Not to mention what would have happened if they hadn't been interrupted just now.

"Hey, I was a Boy Scout, all right. Always prepared. Better safe than sorry. You get the idea."

"We hardly ever used them before," she pointed out, moving to stand and then to begin pacing. "Pardon me if I was caught off guard." She paused and sent him a serious look. "I'm still safe, you know, in case you were worried."

She had to mean safe as in "safe, free of disease" because Kevin knew for a fact she wasn't on the pill anymore. He knew because he'd searched her house top to bottom, trying to get her stuff together to bring her here. He would've included that essential if he'd found it. No condoms either. That had surprised him. He figured she must not have been sexually active in a while and was glad. He knew her too well to believe that she let guys fuck her without a rubber if she wasn't on the pill. 

He cleared his throat, remembering some of those occasions in vivid detail, and pointed out, "Same here. In case you hadn't realized, I wasn't exactly prepared when we came here, and there's a reason for that. It's been a long time since I was with anyone."

She stopped pacing and flopped down in the chair, looking at him with an unreadable expression. She ran a hand through her hair and looked away. "I'm sorry, Kevin, but I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because ..."

"Come on, Cassie. You weren't putting up a fight a few minutes ago. What's changed between now and then?" He could clearly see that her nipples were still aroused and pointing against the silk of her robe. He imagined if he were to slide his hand up between her thighs right now, he'd find her as drenched as he was hard. She wanted him, all right; why wouldn't she admit it?

She looked at him, and he saw many things in that look that he hadn't been expecting – longing, fear, and hesitation. Before he could say anything, she continued, "Look, Kevin, if I was anti-commitment when we first met, believe me when I say I'm a thousand times worse now. I'm in no shape to be getting involved – sexually or otherwise – with anyone. Believe me, I'm trying to do you a favor here. I know that I ... hurt you last time. You deserve better."

Kevin knew she was vulnerable, and he didn't want to take advantage of that. Still, if not now, when would he ever be able to break through that wall of hers and make her realize she could take a chance on him? He felt torn between pushing the issue and backing off. Besides, what was it about him that always scared her off anyway? 

"Just what kind of guy do you think I am?" he wondered aloud.

"Same as any other – the kind who wants to get into my pants," she answered, seriously. "I'll tell you what, Cooper. That's fine. I can handle that. I can even appreciate it. Any other time I would say, 'your place or mine?' but right now, I just want to heal for a while first. OK?"

Kevin was quiet for a while, absorbing that very revealing statement: "I just want to heal." He knew he could try pointing out the obvious, that he wanted more than to just get into her pants. He wanted a relationship, but she already knew that. She had to. He figured he could try to convince her not all men were like Pete Hendricks, but she probably recognized that as well. Cassie wasn't totally without common sense. She was just wounded, and he figured she'd been that way for longer than she even realized. 

In the end, he sent her a supportive smile. "I seem to recall once you were looking for a friend with benefits. That position still open?"

She laughed. "Nice try, Cooper." More seriously, she said, "I might have a position open for a friend, if you're interested."

"I think I might be," he admitted, leaning back against the wall across from her. "So ..." he glanced around them at the mess they'd made on the floor. He stretched out an arm and mock-punched her in the arm. "What do you want to do, now, buddy? Clean up and head home?"

She surveyed the soiled towels and sighed. "No." He looked at her in surprise. "I think I'd like to spend a couple more nights here. You know, I haven't actually had a vacation in two years. This place isn't so bad. Can we just head home Saturday?"

"Sounds good to me."

"Thanks," she said, and Kevin got the distinct impression she was thanking him for more than the extra days. Now, he wondered, how the hell was he going to keep his hands off of Cassie until she came to terms with her feelings for him?

Worse, how the hell was he going to play at being "just friends" with the woman he knew he still loved? 



Craving Cassie Ch. 03



"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," Cassie mumbled to herself as she rounded the corner and saw the construction detouring her foot route to the courthouse. "What? Oh nothing. Listen, Andi, I'm almost there, I promise. Go ahead. I'll meet you in the lobby. Five minutes," she promised, and snapped her cell phone shut.

She neglected to tell her friend it was physically impossible to go around the construction, cross the busy road, and walk the remaining mile and a half in five minutes to get to the courthouse, but Cassie considered herself nothing if not resourceful.

She was in the process of peeling off her high-heeled shoes, fully willing to take off in a dead sprint to make it, when she heard a wolf whistle coming from one of the cars on the busy road beside her. She rolled her eyes. When the jackass gave another wolf whistle and called out, "Hey, good looking!" she turned, fully prepared to shoot the horny roadster a bird. Almost too late, she realized the jackass in question was Kevin.

He had pulled over to the side and was waving her over. "Praise the lord," she whispered and jogged toward him. She jumped into the passenger seat of his truck and said, "I need to be at the courthouse ten minutes ago. Go."

He chuckled, but wasted no time pulling into traffic. "Something happen to your car, darlin'?"

She was putting her shoes back on. "Yeah, I don't have one at the moment. Mine's in the shop. Speaking of which, what are you doing at, say, five o'clock this afternoon?"

"Why didn't you call me or Heather to give you a ride?" he sent her a pointed look that made her feel like she'd been caught doing something she shouldn't have been. He added, "I'll take you to pick your car up. Don't worry about it."

She sent him a beautiful, self-satisfied smile. "You're a peach, you know that? Oh, you can just drop me off in front of the building. Thanks, Cooper, I owe you one."

"You owe me several, but who's keeping tab?" He smiled and gave her the once over. "Looking pretty good, Ross. No wonder you almost stopped traffic back there."

She felt herself color with embarrassment. She wasn't the type to dress up often – that was the great thing about owning your own business. Today, however, she'd needed to look professional and responsible, so she'd pulled out one of the only business suits she had in her closet – a black number she'd partnered with some heels. She'd spent far longer than she should have on her hair, which was pulled back in a very neat style.

She couldn't wait to get home so she could put her jeans back on and let her hair down again.

"You're looking pretty spiffy yourself, Cooper. What's the special occasion?" she asked, noticing he himself was dressed in a sports coat and tie.

"Just meeting you at the courthouse to lend my support."

"You were what?" she asked, completely surprised.

"Don't act so surprised, sweetheart. That's what friends do. I mean, isn't that why you're here? To support Andrea? I'm here to support you. Now you go on inside. I'll meet you in a few minutes after I find a place to park."

She realized he was pulling up to the curb in front of the courthouse now. She hopped out and leaned in to say, "Don't worry about it, Kevin. I appreciate the ride. I'll just meet up with you later."

"Right," he agreed. "In the lobby in a few minutes. Now scoot."

She wanted to argue, but she knew she didn't have time so she just slammed the door and hurried up the steps. Andi, who looked as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs, came forward to greet Cassie. "I was getting worried," Andi said, chewing on her nails. 

"Hey, I promised you I'd be here," Cassie reprimanded gently, and then awkwardly offered a hug for support. "So what's the deal? Do we go into a courtroom or what?"

"We have to wait on the judge. I think it's just supposed to be me and Pete and our lawyers, if we have them, and then the judge will talk to the officers in charge of the case. You'll have to wait out here with my parents."

"Oh," Cassie said, having expected something more along the lines of what you saw on TV. "Well, damn. I got all dressed up for nothing."

"Yeah," Andi agreed. "Sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry about," Cassie stressed, and Andi nodded.

Andi introduced Cassie to the tall, grey-haired gentleman who was sitting with her parents – he was the lawyer they'd hired for her. Kevin joined the group a few minutes later, and Cassie felt a bit embarrassed to introduce him to Andrea in these circumstances. She hedged and explained to everyone that she'd needed a ride, and Kevin had volunteered. Cassie knew her friend found all of this embarrassing and hurtful and probably would have been happier if no one at all knew what had happened in her marriage, let alone a complete stranger like Kevin. Hell, if anything like it ever happened to Cassie, she certainly would not want all of her friends and family hanging around to witness the ordeal. 

If anything, though, Kevin charmed Andi just like he'd charmed Cassie, and he, more than anyone, did the best job of keeping Andi's mind off the matter at hand by telling her about some of the adventures he'd been on. Europe, Canada, Asia ... he'd been all over the world, it seemed.

"Have you ever been snowboarding?" he even asked Andi at one point.

"No, but it looks like fun," she admitted, totally engaged in the conversation.

"Well, you'll have to let me take you and Cassie sometime. It's a lot of fun once you get the hang of it. We can go to Colorado – they've got some great slopes there."

Cassie scoffed. "Me? Strap a board to my feet and go hurling down a mountain at sixty miles an hour? I don't think so."

They all got a good laugh out of that.

Almost an hour after her scheduled appointment, Andi was called back with her lawyer, along with a stone-faced Pete and two police officers Cassie recognized from the night of the beating. For the next twenty minutes, Cassie watched the door worriedly, chewing on her nails.

Finally, Andi came out, looking tired and pale and with tear stains on her face. When she gathered herself enough to explain, Andi told them that she had been granted the Order of Protection her lawyer had requested, and both she and Pete were scheduled to be back in court. Andi added that the judge had also granted her sole rights to their home until the Order of Protection against Pete was lifted.

The prick was released on bond and would be out there somewhere, but at least he couldn't go near Andi – or wasn't supposed to, anyway.

That, she further explained, would give her the chance to pack all of her personal items and belongings and "get the hell out."

Thank God, Cassie thought. She'd really expected Andi to stay with Pete, just like she had all the other times. For once, she was glad to be proven wrong.

Hopping into the passenger seat beside Kevin, the first thing Cassie did was let her hair down. She shook it out and ran her fingers through it as she told him, "Maybe Tess can take me to pick my car up later. I hate to keep asking you for favors."

"Don't worry about it."

But she did. She absolutely hated to be indebted to anyone for any reason. Leaning back in her seat, she sighed. "I'll pay you for it then. How much does it cost to fill this thing up anyway?"

"Dinner and a movie, and I get to pick both. You pick up the check."

"Deal."

"That was easy." He whistled. "Damn. I knew I should have asked for a night of hot, sweaty sex instead."

"Keep dreaming, cowboy."

"Speaking of dreams, did I tell you the one I had the other night? It involved me, you, a bottle of honey and a hammock ..."

"Kevin!" She sent him a scandalous look. "Friends, remember? Geez."

His chuckle was evil. "Lighten up, Ross. Sheesh. Can't even take a joke. It's sad really."

She shifted uncomfortably, thinking, no, I damn well can't! Not jokes like that, anyway. The mere thought of her, Kevin, a bottle of honey, and a hammock sent her pulse racing and made her tingle in all the right places.

She was glad for the escape when he finally dropped her off at her shop. It was getting too hot in the cab of his truck for her liking.

"I'll be back around five," he promised, and sent her a sexy grin.

Friends, she reminded herself as she waved him off. All they could be was friends ...

***

The night of their dinner and a movie – her treat – finally came and Kevin found himself reluctantly calling Cassie to cancel. For someone who rarely got sick, he'd managed to come down with one helluva cold, and in the middle of spring, no less. Just his luck.

Cassie called the next day to check on him, almost sounding concerned. He took that as a good sign. He sounded almost as bad as he felt, and he felt terrible, so he really shouldn't have been so surprised when she showed up on his doorstep on the third day of his illness armed with a bag of medicine and a bowl of chicken soup, ready to take no prisoners.

"No offense, Cassie, but I want to get better, not worse," he joked stuffily when she handed him the soup she said she'd made herself.

"Very funny, wise guy. I'll have you know I've got plenty of experience nursing people back to health, thank you very much. My chicken soup helped get rid of more than one of my father's and Heather's colds in the past, so shut up, eat up, and like it."

Grumpily, he let her guide him back to bed, and she sat beside him on top of the covers, watching and waiting for him to try the nutritious liquid. He hesitantly took a sip from the spoon. "Hey, this is pretty good," he admitted, and scooped up a bigger helping.

Later he handed her his empty bowl. "Thanks. You're pretty good at this Mother Hen stuff. Who would've thought?" he teased.

"Yeah, well, I don't do it for just anyone. Consider yourself one of the lucky ones, cowboy."

He figured she must have had to nurse Heather plenty of times after their mother had passed away. That thought brought with it a revelation of sorts. 

Cassie picked up his remote and began surfing through the channels on his small bedroom TV. "I saw where The Travel Channel is showing a documentary tonight on haunted places. You interested?"

"Sure. Just promise to protect me if I get scared," he agreed. Mainly, he was trying to think of a polite way to mention what he was thinking. Finally, he just said, "I guess it must have been kind of weird when Heather went away to college. I mean, after you had taken care of her for so long."

He could tell he'd hit on something by the way she seemed to stop breathing for a few seconds. She shrugged. "Yeah, I guess ..." 

Certain he'd found a clue in his constant search into what made this woman tick, he continued, "You know, you never really talk about your father."

"So?" She sounded defensive now. 

"I just wondered. I mean, is he still alive, or is he living it up in sunny Florida, or maybe he's in the CIA and you can't talk about him ...?"

"Afraid not. He died the same year Heather and Jake got married. Now, do you mind? I'm trying to watch this."

So her father was dead, and Heather had moved on with Jake. Her best friend had gotten married to a scumbag she'd refused to leave until now. After taking care of all of them for so long, suddenly Cassie hadn't been needed anymore. Like a brick hitting him in the face, Kevin suddenly got it. Cassie was afraid to get close to anyone because she probably felt like everyone she'd ever invested her efforts in had abandoned her. Could that really be it? Had he finally figured out her issue?

"Wow," he breathed, feeling pretty confident that he had.

"What? That ghost looked pretty fake to me," she scoffed, watching the TV. 

"Oh, nothing," he said, then sneezed and blew his nose. 

Cassie sent him a cutting glance. "You infect me, and I'll kick your butt."

"Hey, you're the one lying on the bed with me," he argued good-naturedly. He grinned. "Hey, you're lying on the bed with me," he pointed out with devilish merriment and wiggled his eyebrows.

She rolled her eyes but couldn't help but smile. Still, she scooted a little bit to the right, away from him. "You couldn't do anything if you wanted. You're sick."

"Is that a challenge?"

"No, that's a fact." 

"Why'd you scoot over there then? Scared?" he teased.

"Hell no. I don't wanna catch your germs."

He smiled to himself. 

"What?" Cassie demanded, seeing that smile.

"Oh nothing. Just daydreaming."

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise at that unexpected response. "About what?"

"I can't tell you. You'd get mad at me," he smiled.

"You're probably right," she agreed, and focused on the TV again. 

Kevin chuckled and decided to let her off the hook. Even though he generally felt pretty lousy right about now, he also felt surprisingly upbeat at the moment, and he knew it was because Cassie was here. 

***

The next few weeks were extremely busy for Cassie as she had several weddings and parties booked at the store. Still, that didn't stop Kevin from stopping by every other day to take her to lunch or dinner. A few times, he'd even volunteered his services to deliver flowers when her regular help had called in sick and she was caught in a bind. 

Cassie was becoming very comfortable with their friendship, and she had to admit, she liked having a guy around as a friend, someone she could depend on whenever she needed him, though she was still loathe to admit it. Her short-lived friendship with Kevin had been the main thing she'd missed a few years ago, and now she didn't know what she'd do without it. Even though there were days when she was severely tempted to risk turning it into something more, she held back because she didn't want to ruin what they had now. The mere idea of not having him in her life any more now terrified her.

The fact that she could admit that to herself was even more terrifying.

When Heather called and asked if Cassie and Kevin would like to join them for a night out, Cassie didn't even hesitate to agree. Unfortunately, she got held up in joining them at the country western bar they'd picked and was almost half an hour late.

"Sorry," she said, joining the three of them at the table they'd reserved and shrugging out of her jacket. "Tess had to leave early and I got stuck with some late customers."

"You should have called me," Heather chided. 

"It wasn't anything I couldn't handle. Did you guys order already?" she asked, picking up a menu.

She wasn't surprised they'd waited on her, and they all agreed to split one huge pizza with some beers. Cassie settled back in her seat and sighed, glad to be with friends for a change, and not working or going to court or counseling sessions with Andi. 

Once or twice, Cassie caught herself glancing at both Jake and Kevin as they bantered back and forth across the table. They really were great guys, and so much alike in a lot of ways. 

"Are you two up for a game of pool?" Jake asked the women after the pizza was gone. 

"Not me," Heather sighed, and Cassie agreed, "It's been a long day. I just wanna sit here and kick back for a while longer. You go ahead without us. Give us a chance to gossip."

"Suit yourselves," Jake said, and leaned over to kiss his wife. "Wait here while I go show Kevin who's king."

"King of the losers maybe," Kevin shot back and winked at Heather as he followed Jake to the pool tables.

"So," Heather said when they were alone, "are you and Kevin dating yet, or still trying to be 'just friends'?"

"How many times do I have to tell you – friends only," Cassie emphasized. 

"Still trying to put up boundaries? How sad. I think you two would be great together," Heather said.

"You've made that perfectly clear, little sister." Leaning forward, Cassie considered her sister and then glanced to where Jake and Kevin were talking and readying their game of pool. "Can I ask you something, sis?"

"Absolutely."

She considered her words carefully, not wanting Heather to jump to conclusions. "When you first met Jake, did you know he was the one?"

Heather's eyes widened in surprise. "When we first met? Honestly, no. I mean, I didn't think anyone like him could be interested in anyone like me, so I had these walls put up, you know? I never even let myself imagine it. It took a lot of convincing from him before I realized he really did love me. One day I just realized he was the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with and I couldn't imagine my life without him in it. Why do you ask?"

"Just wondering ..." 

Damn. Cassie could answer 'yes' to both those questions herself.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with you and Kevin, would it?" Heather smiled knowingly.

Cassie sighed, figuring if she couldn't trust her sister, who could she trust? "Maybe," she admitted. "I don't know. A part of me wants to take that chance, you know? But another part of me knows it just wouldn't work out. Besides, he deserves better."

"You'll never know until you try," Heather encouraged. "And he can't get any better than you, you moron."

Cassie just loved her little sister to death for saying that. Still, she wondered ... did she have what it took to be the kind of woman Kevin deserved? Or should she just stick to the 'just friends' objective?

Heather glanced in the direction of her husband, and then grimaced. 

Cassie followed her gaze and saw that two women were chatting up Jake and Kevin. Even she tensed, seeing that.

"Damn," Heather murmured softly. "I hate it when women try to pick him up, even when I'm around. Doesn't she care he's wearing a ring?"

"Does it really worry you?" Cassie asked, feeling a little worried herself, seeing the second woman flirt shamelessly with Kevin, who absolutely did not have a ring to hide behind.

Just then Jake turned and sent Heather a smile and rolled his eyes to let her know he wasn't encouraging the attention. Heather laughed and blew him a kiss in return. "No. Not really. He always finds a way to untangle himself. Just watch."

"Mmmm. Well, Kevin doesn't seem to be trying to get away," Cassie grumbled.

"Technically, he doesn't have a reason to," Heather pointed out. "Can I give you some advice, sis?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Walls don't keep other people out. They keep you fenced in. Now why don't we go over there and show those floozies to stay away from our men?"

Cassie did what she usually did. She reacted without thinking.

"Best idea I've heard all night," Cassie agreed, wasting no time in abandoning her drink and heading that way.

When Jake saw his wife doing the same, he excused himself from the woman trying so hard to flash her ample, er, assets under his nose. Uh-oh, Cassie realized, seeing the blonde just turn and focus her attention on Kevin, who was already being worked over by a redhead in too-tight pants. He lifted his eyes, saw Cassie coming, and looked ... relieved?

Poor thing. Did he need her to rescue him from those two over eager bimbos? Just like the night of the bachelor auction, she recalled. She swore, if she didn't know him so well, she'd say he was gay.

Pasting on a wicked smile, she chuckled to herself as she got closer. Poor Kevin. He'd never know what hit him when she got done. She just pushed her way in between the two women and pressed her front up close against him, sliding one hand around his waist and the other up to play with the ends of his hair. "Sugar pie, honey dear," she drawled in her best – or worst – Southern imitation, just like Scarlet O'Hara or something. "Are you bein' a bad boy leadin' these poor women on?"

He stiffened, and she had to try real hard not to laugh at the flicker of merriment that suddenly lit up his eyes. The look he gave her said he was having the same problem. He exaggerated his own Southern accent to mimic hers, saying, "'Course not, love muffin." He slid an arm around her waist and gave her a squeeze too. "These two lovely ladies was just tellin' me about a party they were givin' for a friend."




Craving Cassie Ch. 03



"A party!" Cassie squealed. "Woo-hoo, I do love a party now." 

Not to be left out, Heather, who was snuggled in Jake's arms, chimed in with her own atrocious Southern drawl. "Hot damn, honey, you know I'm always up fer a party too. Where's it at?"

The redhead was looking uncomfortable, but the blonde tramp just looked plain mad. Cassie toyed with them for a few minutes more before they just gave up and wandered off, seeking other prey. Cassie chuckled. When she went to slip away from Kevin, however, he wouldn't let her go.

"What's your hurry, sugar pie, honey dear?" he mocked with a big smile. "I do believe they are playing our song. Least you can do is offer me a dance now that you scared away all my dance partners."

She pretended to consider it, although she was thrilled at the idea of having a legitimate excuse to press up against him for a while longer. "Hmmm, well, sugar pie, honey dear, I guess I can do that." 

They were playing some old country song, a ballad about lost love and heartbreak and twenty beers to drown it in, but Cassie barely heard the lyrics as she sighed and melted into Kevin's arms on the dance floor. How easy it would be to let go and fall completely in love with this man, she thought. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Jake and Heather were dancing too. They looked so comfortable together, and so happy. No one else in the room existed for either of them, from the looks of it. Cassie was glad. Maybe they would make it after all. She hoped so.

"Can I ask you something personal?" Kevin whispered, and his breath against the sensitive shell of her ear sent a thrill down her spine.

"Sure, love muffin."

She heard the smile in his voice as he asked, "Why did you really scare that woman away? Jealous?"

"You bet," she said without hesitation. "That woman had great hair. I wonder if I should dye my hair red," she added thoughtfully.

"Don't you dare," Kevin said and pinched her bottom in warning. "Seriously. Were you?"

She sighed, figuring she owed him nothing less than the truth. "I don't know. Maybe. OK, yeah, I was. I don't know why. We're just friends."

"Your rule, not mine," he reminded.

"I know." She turned her head on his shoulder, watched the lights gleam. "I should see a shrink."

"Plenty of people do. Doesn't mean you're crazy."

"Gee, thanks. You weren't supposed to agree with me."

"Hey, I like crazy. Crazy is hot. Really, crazy turns me on."

She felt his erection against her hip and thought, yeah, no kidding. She lifted her head and stroked her cheek against his. "Okay. Say you'd seen a couple of really hot guys flirting with me instead – would you have been jealous?"

She swore she felt his body tense and smiled to herself. "Hell, yeah," he agreed without hesitation. Then he was the one to sigh. "Difference is, you know I want to be more than just friends so it would have been justified."

She thought about that for a few seconds, wondering if her jealousy meant she would never be able to be "just friends" with Kevin. She smiled wryly at herself. Hadn't she been over this a thousand times in her mind already? If Kevin could promise her that adding sex back into their relationship wouldn't destroy their friendship, she would go home with him right now and give him a night he wouldn't soon forget.

She knew that wasn't a promise anyone could make though. She sighed, loudly and deeply. Heather's words came back to haunt her: "you'll never know until you try."

"Okay."

"Okay what?" Kevin repeated.

She just kept her head on his shoulder as she said, "Maybe we could try something ... more."

His hands around her waist tightened, and he seemed to falter in his movements for a second. Cassie realized she was holding her breath, waiting for some sort of audible response from him as well. 

A softly whispered "Damn" was her only reward.

"Damn?" she repeated, lifting her head and sending him a look that could kill. "All you can say is 'damn'?"

He simply pressed her hips closer to his with one hand and pushed her head back down toward his shoulder with the other. "Feel that? I was already turned on holding you, but what you just said made me hard as a rock. We're gonna have to keep dancing until I can get out of here without embarrassing myself."

"Oh." A slow, self-satisfied smile spread across her lips. She lowered her head back to his shoulder and relaxed again. "Okay."

In the end, Kevin had to excuse himself to use the restroom, and when he came back – quite some time later – he was less noticeably aroused, but not by much. Cassie hid her smirk behind her mug of beer and continued her conversation with her sister and Jake until Jake finally reminded, "Time's up. Gotta get home to relieve the sitter."

The foursome walked outside, continuing their banter and fellowship until the last possible minute. Cassie noticed Kevin was walking behind her, using her as a shield to hide his condition. Poor thing. She felt a thrill knowing she'd put him in that condition, and she was probably grinning like a fool too. Maybe it was the beer she'd drank, although it hadn't been much. Maybe it was the full moon overhead. Cassie even found herself doing something totally out of character by initiating a hug with her little sister in parting.

"Thanks," she whispered in Heather's ear.

"For what?" Heather laughed, squeezing back.

Cassie just shrugged. "Just thanks. That's all."

"Tell that kid of yours I'll take her canoeing next weekend if she's good," Kevin was saying to Jake, who gathered Heather close with one arm and waved goodbye with the other.

"Where are you parked?" Kevin asked Cassie and pointed out that he was parked in the back lot.

"Same here. The place was packed when I got here," she explained, wondering, 'what do we do now?' Should she ask that god-awful question, your place or mine? Or should she let him take the lead? Encourage small talk? What? She actually felt butterflies in her stomach for the first time in years! How ridiculous was that?

"So ..." she said after the silence grew uncomfortable as they rounded the building. "Wanna go catch a movie now or—" She broke off when she saw something sharp come into his eyes, something reckless and thrilling that had her heart racing to a faster beat just from seeing it.

She felt her body jerk against his as he pressed her back against the brick wall behind the bar, hidden in the shadows. She didn't care. She just wanted his hands on her, and he didn't let her down. He slid them both beneath the hem of her shirt, slid them up the silk skin of her back as his mouth crashed down on hers. It was a hard kiss. A greedy kiss. It was easily a kiss that had been stored up inside both of them for the past four years, she reasoned as she pressed into him, giving every bit as good as she got. Her legs got tangled up with his. She lost track of whose hand was where. She just let it happen, not caring if the entire Chicago Cubs baseball team were to happen by and catch them at that moment.

Pulling back, breathing hard, Kevin pressed his forehead against hers and, after a moment, managed to say, "Sorry. I'm sorry. I just couldn't resist. You've had me so worked up all night ..."

"Just all night?" she challenged, smiling, still breathing hard herself.

"Minx." He smiled back and admitted, "Okay, you've had me worked up since the moment I first laid eyes on you, sweetheart. Now what are we gonna do about it?"

She let her hands do some exploring and pressed her hips closer to his in reply. Yep, he was still turned on; she could feel him poking against her, more so than before. He growled in her ear. "Watch it, darlin', or I'm gonna end up taking you right here, right now."

"Would that really be so bad?" she teased in his ear at the same time her hand slid between the waistband of his jeans and his hot, hard skin.

He groaned. "Got any protection on you?"

She stopped what she was doing, yet again realizing the thought had never once crossed her mind. Why was it always like that with him, and only him? She regretfully shook her head. "No."

"Damn. Me either. I didn't want to risk you finding any on me and jumping to conclusions. Boy, was I stupid." He closed his eyes and said, "Just give me a minute."

Cassie thought about their situation and ways out of it, but only for a second. Then she put both of her hands to work – one to lower his zipper and the other to fish out his erection. She nipped his earlobe and smiled when he groaned and leaned more into her, a slave to his hormones. "Why don't you let me take care of this for you so you can be more comfortable following me back to my place?" she told him.

He seemed to look around, trying to see if anyone was around to spy on them. She already knew there wasn't – she'd already looked for herself. Not to mention, it was so dark where they were standing, no one would see them anyway. Either way, she was willing to risk it if he was. Still, he seemed to grit his teeth and say, "Nah ... Wouldn't be right."

"If it was right, it wouldn't be so much fun," she smiled and just shoved him around until he was the one leaning against the wall, at her mercy. "Just lean back and enjoy the ride, cowboy. You can return the favor later."

"Cassie ... oh god," he began to protest and then groaned when her hands, then her lips made contact with his very hard cock. His head fell back against the brick and he unconsciously arched his hips toward her. Swallowing hard, Kevin lifted his head, opened his eyes, and looked down at her on her knees and servicing him behind a bar. 

As he watched her mouth slide up and down on his cock, Cassie heard herself moan a time or two along with him. She made love to his cock like she'd never done before, coating it gently with her tongue so she could slide more of him between her lips. She knew he'd already been so turned on, it wouldn't take long for him to cum. She really started to bob up and down, faster and faster. She felt Kevin grab her hair and say, "I'm close, Cassie. .. Better ...stop," he gasped. 

She started to feel his cock swell as she continued to lick up and down his long, hard staff. She'd never swallowed for anyone before – she didn't know of any woman outside of porn and erotic stories who actually enjoyed doing it – so she pulled back and finished him off with her hands. 

When his breathing seemed to return to normal, she smiled a self-satisfied smile and straightened to lean into him. "Better now?"

"Damn, Cassie." He tugged her close and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm not so sure I can repay a favor as good as that one."

"Don't worry. Practice makes perfect, and I plan to see that you get plenty of practice," she told him and pulled away with the intent to get in her car and race home as fast as humanly possible. Now she was the one who was hot and horny and aching for release. She'd never given a guy a blowjob in a public place before, and for some reason, it had made her wet. Excited. Eager. But Kevin grabbed her hand and tugged her back before she could get a move on it.

"My place, not yours," he said with a grin. She wondered why the preference and guessed it must have shown on her face. He reminded, "Condoms," and she almost turned red. Yet again she'd let it slip her mind, and he did have that big multi-pack to use up. She had none to speak of herself.

"Okay. Your place," she agreed and turned to leave. He wouldn't let go of her hand. 

"Wait, Cassie," he said, obviously not sharing her edge of urgency now that he'd gotten his rocks off. "If you change your mind on the way there ... you know I'll understand."

She smiled and leaned in to kiss him, hoping to convince him she wasn't going to change her mind anytime soon. "Nice try, hot stuff, but you're not getting out of that favor you owe me. Now, will you just leave already or do you need an engraved invitation?"

He just smiled real big, obviously relieved and just as excited as she was, and when he said, "Make sure you follow me. I know a shortcut," Cassie knew she was in for a night she would never forget.

***

The 'just friends' rule had been tossed out for nearly three months, and so far, so good, Kevin couldn't help but think.

What a great three months it had been too. He and Cassie had been virtually inseparable since the night she'd caved in and agreed to add sex to their renewed friendship. She had not only stayed the entire night at his place that night without having second thoughts, she'd stayed that entire weekend. Then the next, and the next, and sometimes he stayed at her place too. Kevin hadn't exactly gotten her to say those three little words just yet, but he'd let them slip to her a couple of times now. He knew he loved her; he felt she should know it too. Sooner or later she'd accept he meant it and feel comfortable enough to share her own feelings. Maybe she felt the same. Maybe she didn't. 

He was a patient man. He figured he could wait a little bit longer to find out.

Kevin sighed as he sat on the edge of the swimming pool behind his newly purchased house and watched as Cassie helped her niece stay afloat in the water. The woman was a bit of a distraction in that bikini, but he reigned in such thoughts, knowing it was hardly proper since they'd been entrusted with Faith for the weekend while Jake and Heather celebrated their wedding anniversary out of town. Still, he didn't mind looking. He knew Cassie had caught him staring at her with a grin on his face more than once. She was getting pretty good at pretending she didn't notice, but he'd caught her checking him out a time or two as well. 

They had yet to christen his swimming pool – they'd been too busy christening all the other rooms. If little Faith weren't their responsibility today, Kevin felt sure they'd be christening the pool right about now. He could just picture it. Just the two of them. Cassie's legs wrapped around his waist. Their slick, wet skin sliding against each other. Her hot, slick tunnel surrounding his hard cock ...

He was ripped from his thoughts when he suddenly felt a wave of water splash him in the face followed by the sounds of the little girl's laughter. "Ooops. Sorry," Cassie feigned innocence as her niece giggled helplessly in her arms. 

Kevin pretended to growl and slipped back into the pool with them, then chased Cassie – who was holding Faith – until he trapped them against the wall. "You think that was funny, huh?" he asked, grabbing Faith, lifting her up high and then perching her on his shoulders. She squealed with glee and laughed when he asked Cassie, "Now what about you, young lady?"

"Lady? Where?" she asked and pretended to look around. "I don't see a lady around here."

He couldn't help but chuckle at that and launched a wave of water in her direction in retaliation for her earlier attack. Cassie just squealed in protest and splashed back.

By the time they made it back inside, he was pretty sure all of their sides were hurting from so much laughter. He couldn't help but think, "If we had kids, this is what it would be like." He sighed. Oh yeah. He had it bad. Real bad.

When Faith disappeared into the bathroom to "tinkle," he cornered a still wet and bikini-clad Cassie in the kitchen, where she was making them sandwiches for lunch. He took the opportunity to slide his arms around her from behind and nuzzle her neck.

"Mmmm. You feel good, sweetheart. Nice and wet, just the way I like you."

"Pervert," she accused, but twisted so he could kiss her on the mouth rather than the neck. "Too bad I can't stay here tonight. Gotta take care of the kid though."

"You could both stay here," he reminded, but she arched her brows at him like he was crazy for suggesting such a thing. "Not with my niece, I won't. I won't set that kind of example. I'll stay tomorrow night when she's back home."

"Mmmm. I can't wait," he murmured, nibbling her earlobe. When he slid his hand around to feel her breast, she moaned and leaned back into him. Then they heard the sound of the toilet flushing, and Cassie protested, "She's coming," and wiggled free of his grasp.

Kevin loved seeing her so flushed and flustered, even though he was disturbed by something she'd said. She didn't want to set "that kind of example" for her niece. That kind of declaration could put a serious hamper on his plans to ask her to move in with him.

He'd had her tour this house with him when he made the decision to buy one, just so he could make sure she liked the one he bought. He'd been on the road so often since he'd moved to this town, it had never bothered him to pay rent on an apartment. Nowadays, he hardly traveled at all – he'd actually turned down guiding adventure tours in order to spend more time with Cassie. It made him realize he'd like to have a home of his own, hopefully one he could share with her. He was ready to settle down, and he hoped she was too, finally.

If she'd been anyone else, Kevin would have already asked Cassie to marry him. But as she had been so eager to remind him time and time again, she was allergic to commitment. She was comfortable with the way things were. So he'd been trying to decide if he should go ahead and ask her to move in instead – even though the thought just didn't sit well with him. His mama and sisters had always taught him to have more respect for the woman he loved, but he had himself convinced Cassie might actually agree with that before she would marriage. 

Now he wasn't so sure of that either.

The rest of the day Kevin made sure he made no move to flirt with Cassie at all. In fact, he was perfectly content just to spend time with two of his favorite ladies, playing silly board games, watching cartoons, and visiting the local McDonald's for a snack. When Cassie and Faith left his place later that evening, he actually felt sad and lonely for the first time in a long time. 

Too dignified to mope, he did the next best thing – he called the sister he was closest to for advice. When he hung up nearly an hour later, he thought maybe, just maybe he had a better idea of what he needed to do ...

***

"What do you mean, you're leaving?" Cassie asked, trying to sound like she wasn't upset by the idea, even though she was. She pulled Kevin's discarded tee shirt over her head and turned to find him watching her with appreciation. 

"I've got a booking for a white water trip," he explained. "I'll only be gone for a couple of weeks. You probably won't even notice I'm gone."

"Yeah maybe," she tried to agree, although she was pretty damned sure she would notice. She went back to the bed and sat down and didn't even focus on him lying there naked aside from the bed sheets and looking deliciously disheveled from their recent bout of lovemaking. She chewed on her nails and stared thoughtfully at the wall.

It was over for her. Cassie had known for certain the minute she had walked into Kevin's new house the first day he'd moved in and saw the rose petals he'd strewn along the floor for her. She'd never get over him. Never get past him. With single-minded purpose, he'd destroyed all of the careful walls she'd built around her heart until there were none left.

Now she was stupidly, hopelessly, irreversibly in love with the man, and she had to admit to herself she probably had been all along, ever since that first night together so long ago now. 

Kevin could shatter her. No one had ever been allowed to have that control over her before. And now he was leaving? Leaving just when she was beginning to get a handle on her feelings for him? 

"Hey," he said, trying to get her attention back on him. "I won't be gone long. I promise."

Cassie forced a smile. "I've got plenty of work to catch up on. It's probably a good thing. You just surprised me, that's all."

"Someday I might take you on an adventure with me – if you're real nice to me, of course," he said with a teasing grin.




Craving Cassie Ch. 03



"Nice? I can be nice," she said thoughtfully, sliding down the bed until she was facing him. "Just how nice do I have to be? As nice as this ...?" she asked and slid her bare leg over his. Then she ran one hand beneath the bed sheets until she found his cock, already hard and throbbing, and stroked it with her hand.

By the time he left her place the next morning, she felt better about his leaving, although she still wasn't happy about it. Mostly because he'd waited until the day before he was due to leave to even mention it to her. He had to have known about it for at least a week. Why couldn't he have told her then, she wondered.

The first week he was gone wasn't that bad, she had to admit later. She kept busy at work and kept her mind off him by spending her evenings with Andi or Heather's family. The second week was much harder, largely because she had yet to hear from him. She'd thought he would at least call once in a while to check on her. Geez.

When Kevin finally called Tuesday of that second week, it was to inform her he'd be gone a few more days longer than he'd thought. He didn't say why he hadn't called more often, and she didn't ask. She suspected this was his way of telling her he was getting tired of their relationship, just as she'd figured he would from the beginning. Eventually he'd start taking longer and more frequent trips again, and one day she'd wake up and realize she hadn't heard from him in months. That he wasn't going to call her again because it was over.

Okay. So what if he didn't call? she told herself. She'd just start calling him instead. She'd spent the past few months feeling guilty as hell because Andi was going through relationship hell while Cassie was happier than she could ever remember. She'd held back – a leopard couldn't just change her spots overnight, after all. But now that she knew for certain what she wanted, she was willing to stand her ground and fight for it, she decided. Kevin shouldn't have to do all the work anyway. She vowed to start pulling her fair share of the weight in this relationship when he came back. Maybe even tell him how she felt about him, finally.

When Tess invited Cassie for a night out on the town, she agreed to go. Better that than sit around being lonely and dwelling on negative thoughts. Tess was a few years younger than Cassie and wanted to hit all of the clubs even if it took all night to do it. Cassie realized how old she was getting – in her mid thirties now, steadily creeping older, and struggling to stay conscious after one a.m. Stubborn as always, she still tried hard to fit in with the younger crowd but just wasn't feeling it. A few times, guys hit on her, and she did a little harmless flirting with them, if only to soothe her ego. But she was never once tempted to take any of the guys up on their offers. They just all seemed to pale in comparison to Kevin. She'd had that problem the last time too, which is why she'd virtually stopped dating, period, until he'd re-entered her life.

Maybe it really was time she settled down. She was getting too damn old for this crap she decided the next day after waking up and feeling every one of her years. 

That was the condition Kevin found her in a few hours later when he unexpectedly showed up on her doorstep. "Geez, babe, you look like hell," was his first comment.

"Don't talk to me," she snapped. She turned and headed for her kitchen, leaving him to choose whether to follow or not. He did, and he watched her fish out a bottle of pain killers and wash two down with some water. Finally, she said, "I didn't know you'd be back today."

"Yeah, well, I got back early. Silly me, I thought you might be glad to see me," he said.

She couldn't lie. "Guess I have mixed feelings about that, to be honest."

"Apparently," he scoffed. "Where were you last night? I tried calling a number of times – until three o'clock, actually."

She took a seat at her dining table and told him the truth. "I went clubbing with Tess."

"Just Tess?"

Was he accusing her of something? She instantly got defensive, then reminded herself she would have probably reacted the same if she were in his shoes. "Yes, just Tess. Before you ask, no, I did not bring home any guys nor did I sleep with anyone at all while you were gone."

"I wasn't thinking that."

"Yes, you were," she argued, seeing it in his eyes. 

"I wasn't." He sighed, crossed his arms, and leaned against the wall. "So why are you having mixed feelings about seeing me?"

Once upon a time, she might have tried to play it cool, act like she hadn't been bothered by his absence. She was different now, though, so she admitted, "Because I can't help but wonder if you left to signal to me that you wanted some space. Because you didn't call me every damn day like I hoped you would. Because I missed you and didn't want to. A lot of reasons."

"Oh," was his only response.

"Yeah, I know. Pretty pathetic." When he didn't argue, Cassie lifted her eyes to see that he was watching her with a serious, thoughtful expression on his familiar, handsome face. "What?" she demanded.

"What are you doing tonight?"

She blinked. "Probably nothing. Why?"

"Good," he said and straightened. "Would you please have dinner with me around seven?"

"Yeah, sure."

Kevin finally smiled. "Great. Do me a favor and wear something nice and sexy."

"You do me a favor and wear something nice and sexy," she returned haughtily, wondering where they were going that didn't allow her usual jeans and t-shirt. He leaned down and brushed a kiss across her forehead. 

"Hope you feel better. I'll go so you can rest up," he said. "Oh, and by the way ... just so we're clear, the reason I left wasn't to signal to you that I wanted some space. Far from it."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she wondered out loud, fishing for clues.

"You'll find out – tonight." 

"You and your surprises," she muttered as he left. 

After a shower and some coffee, Cassie felt in better spirits now that Kevin was home again and they had plans for the evening. She grabbed her purse and headed to the mall, where she got her hair done, and she even splurged on a new dress since she didn't have many to begin with. By the time Kevin was due to arrive at seven, she was dressed to kill. She just hoped he didn't show up in jeans, planning to take her to the local steakhouse. 

He showed up wearing a tuxedo, which threw her for a loop. "Oh, god, I'm underdressed, aren't I?" she said drolly in greeting.

He smiled. "You've got to be kidding. You look fantastic, Cassie."

"In this old thing?" she flattened her hands over the fabric of her new dress. "If I'd known we were going to a wedding, I would have made more of an effort," she joked.

Smiling, Kevin reached for her hand, raised it and kissed the back of it. "You look absolutely gorgeous, and you know it."

She couldn't help but smile at her own reaction. She twined her arms around his neck and greeted him properly – the way she should have that morning, in fact. Kevin broke the kiss and said, "No more of that or we'll be late for our dinner reservations."

Cassie was so busy telling Kevin about Faith's latest shenanigans that she didn't realize what their destination was until he pulled his truck into the parking lot of the hotel. The same hotel where she'd met him; the same hotel where they'd spent their first night together.

She started to get nervous. "Okay, what's going on?"

"I thought it would be nice to come back here," he said simply, and got out of the car.

Cassie took a deep breath and followed him out. She was quiet until they were seated at a table in the hotel's plush restaurant. Kevin was making small talk, telling her about his white water rafting trip, but she barely heard a word he said. She couldn't help but wonder if he was thinking of doing something crazy tonight.

Like proposing to her or something...

She laughed nervously at the thought. Now she was the one being crazy. Why on earth would Kevin propose to her? It wasn't like she'd given him any reason to expect that's what she wanted. Quite the opposite, in fact.

She shook herself of the thought. He was just being his usual romantic self, trying to treat her to a night out to celebrate his homecoming. That's all. She should relax and enjoy it, she told herself.

"They're not having one of those bachelor auctions again tonight, are they?" she enquired casually, glancing around at a few other couples dressed similarly to them. 

"Why? Thinking about bidding on a new model?" Kevin said with a smile.

She sent him a straight look. "Don't be ridiculous. I just don't want other women thinking you're up for grabs. It's hard to win a good catfight dressed like this, and I might not do a good enough job of scratching their eyes out."

He blinked in surprise, and Cassie felt her cheeks heat in surprise herself. There, she thought. That was close enough to telling him how she felt, wasn't it?

She cleared her throat and added, "Not that I've ever been in a catfight or anything ..."

"Sure," was his only comment, followed by a barely muffled chuckle.

The food was delicious. The company was even better. Cassie found herself relaxing up until dessert arrived and Kevin started acting funny. Sort of fidgety. Nervous? Her thoughts went back to the idea that he was going to propose. Surely he wouldn't ...

Marriage was such a big step. They should live together first. That's what she'd tell him, and that would be a huge compromise for her. Surely he would appreciate that.

He poured her a fresh glass of champagne and smiled at her. She lifted it, took a long swallow, and then sat it back on the table. "OK, Kevin, spit it out."

His eyes widened. "Spit what out?"

"Whatever it is you're so worried about asking," she said pointedly. "First, I want to say something though."

"Okay."

"If you brought me here tonight with some crazy notion that ... well, that you were thinking of –" she lifted her glass again, took a brief sip, and said, "Oh hell. Just ask. Go ahead. I'm ready."

He was half smiling, looking a little dazed as he tried to make sense of her words. Clearing his throat, he reached for her hand across the table, looked deep into her eyes, and said, "Cassie, sweetheart, the reason I brought you here tonight is to ask you—"

When he hesitated, she squeezed his hand and prompted, tensely, "Ask me...?"

He took a deep breath. "Cassandra Elizabeth Ross ...?"

Oh god, oh god, oh god.

He squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Will you do me the honor of going home with me to meet my family?"

"What?"

Cassie swore she almost fainted then. Not just from the shock of his question but from the relief that it hadn't been the one she'd been expecting. She took a deep breath herself, steadied her nerves, and repeated, "Meet your family?"

He just nodded, watching her reaction closely, seriously.

She laughed and felt tears – wonderfully happy, relieved tears – blur her vision. "Well, I've always wanted to visit Texas."

"Really?"

She nodded, and said, "I love you, you idiot. Of course I want to see where you came from."

Kevin laughed in relief and couldn't restrain himself from jumping out of his seat and pulling her into his arms for a happy hug. He kissed Cassie fiercely, then told the hovering waiter, "Check please, and hurry, will ya?"

He glanced down at her and smiled. "So, you love me, huh?"

"Don't get cocky," she warned with a playful glare. "I can always change my mind."

He just laughed at that. "No you won't," he argued. "I won't let you."

*** Epilogue

God, he was tired.

Kevin took a seat and blew out a tired huff of breath. Cassie was relentless. She couldn't get enough. He felt like he'd created a monster, and he didn't know how to switch her off now. He couldn't believe he actually felt that way, but he did.

"Come on, you slouch," she yelled from where she was waiting on him to continue. A second later, she dropped down beside him, still a bundle of energy. "Whatsa matter? Tired, cowboy?"

He smiled at his wife of a year and pulled her close. He snatched a quick kiss, then said with what he hoped was a charming smile, "Can't we go back to the lodge now? Back to our nice, warm room with an even nicer bed where we can do some really nice things to each other?"

"Sure," she agreed. "When we get finished with this course, we will."

She poked him with the end of her ski pole and taunted, "If we race, we'll get done even faster. Bet I can beat ya!" she taunted, then hopped back to her ski-clad feet to begin shuffling to the top of the mountain.

Kevin chuckled as he followed, thinking of the irony of it all. It had taken a lot of convincing to get Cassie to participate in any of his sports, but once she had, she'd taken to them all like a duck to water. When he'd told her they could spend their first anniversary anywhere she wanted, he'd been expecting and hoping she'd choose Paris, maybe Italy, maybe a cruise to the Bahamas. She'd floored him when she'd picked this famous ski resort in Colorado instead. 

"I want you to teach me how to snowboard," had been her explanation as she'd jumped into his lap and twined her arms around his neck to convince him it was a good idea.

Kevin thought back to the past year and a half. Taking Cassie home to meet his family had been the best decision he'd ever made. She'd loved them almost as much as they'd all loved her. He'd bided his time, waited for just the right moment, and asked her to marry him not long after they returned home from that trip. She hadn't even hesitated to say yes then. They'd had their fair share of arguments since, but oh, how he enjoyed the making up part of those fights.

He hadn't quite convinced Cassie that they were ready for children yet – for some reason, the thought of having a baby scared the living daylights out of her and she adamantly refused to even consider the idea.

Kevin wasn't worried about it though. He'd changed her mind about marriage. He'd eventually change her mind about kids too ...